HBT Shirts of the 101st "Training" Division

[Thrifter_01]

Found these two shirts at an antique store. I had not been there since I was back staying with family for the winter break, was a hell of a thing to find coming back. 

 

Thanks to other topics on this forum, I learned shortly after the end of WW2, the 101st was deactivated and reactived from 1948-1949 and 1953-1954. In that time, the Airborne tab was not stitched with the Screaming Eagle since they were now a Training Unit. I'm unsure with time this was since the HBT was still in service. I have both the HBT shirt and Jacket, with the patch of the Screaming Eagle and rank transfered to the shirt from the jacket.

 

HBT Jacket

 

The HBT Shirt

[snake36bravo]

Nice tops. I might still have a 50s dated Ike also with 101st SSI minus the tab from this period when they were reactivated. I wonder how all the jump qualified and combat veterans of the unit serving another tour with the 101st might've felt about loosing the tab. Different time of course but there's a lot of pride that comes with earning any tab. 

[atb]

53 minutes ago, snake36bravo said:

Nice tops. I might still have a 50s dated Ike also with 101st SSI minus the tab from this period when they were reactivated. I wonder how all the jump qualified and combat veterans of the unit serving another tour with the 101st might've felt about loosing the tab. Different time of course but there's a lot of pride that comes with earning any tab. 

A soldier earns the Parachute Qualification Badge, not the "AIRBORNE" tab. The tab is part of the Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of airborne designated units worn by all members assigned to the organization, airborne qualified or not.

[patches]

Curious as to why this 101 patch without tab is worn as a Combat Patch, that will be the right side, should of been sewn to the other side, the Organizational Side.

[Thrifter_01]

12 hours ago, patches said:

Curious as to why this 101 patch without tab is worn as a Combat Patch, that will be the right side, should of been sewn to the other side, the Organizational Side.

 

Good catch, I didn't realize that. I was trying to find pictures during that time in reactivation periods to see if it was on the right side, but no dice.

 

@snake36bravo Out of curiosity, do you know which side the patch is on the ike?

[snake36bravo]

2 hours ago, Thrifter_01 said:

 

Good catch, I didn't realize that. I was trying to find pictures during that time in reactivation periods to see if it was on the right side, but no dice.

 

@snake36bravo Out of curiosity, do you know which side the patch is on the ike?

 

Yes, the patch is on the left as worn minus the tab.  I don't remember which box the Ike is in or I would pull it out and photograph it but here is a picture of it wear on the owner. 

 

Definitely an interesting time in the 101st Airborne Divisions history. 

 

[patches]

The 101st was quite a odd bird in the days it was a Training Division as it was as its official titled, 101st Airborne Division, but as we know no tab was worn in the Division under any circumstances,( see the Stationary, note the Paratrooper imagery, along with the Division title, but no AIRBORNE tab over the Screaming Eagles patch). Within the division no bloused Jump boots, no ParaGlider cap Badge, and as far as I can tell no unit ovals were worn by any cadre who were Jump Qualified and found themselves assigned to the Division as Drill Sergeants, Instructors or Commanders etc. Like all Training Divisions of the period, they did have there Colors with streamers, and unit crests, and in some cases the men to include some trainees wore unit citations, the the Belgian Rope, and PUCs, a strange and confusing period with wear of unit insignias, in example trainees wore the Division patch as well as in most cases the unit crest, they were, despite being there only for a short while, assigned to the Division.

[Dave T]

Here is a link that can offer some more information.

http://old.506infantry.org/histraining/hisbreckarticle01.html

There are also links on that page to period photographs. The graduation "Yard Long" (i think thats what they are called?) should be of interest as one of the soldiers appears to wear the patch on his right sleeve only and another appears to wear "double eagles".

[Thrifter_01]

On 1/27/2023 at 6:27 AM, Dave T said:

Here is a link that can offer some more information.

http://old.506infantry.org/histraining/hisbreckarticle01.html

There are also links on that page to period photographs. The graduation "Yard Long" (i think thats what they are called?) should be of interest as one of the soldiers appears to wear the patch on his right sleeve only and another appears to wear "double eagles".

 

Sorry for just getting to this, but the link is a great insight to the 101st at this time. From looking at that yard long, I'm surprised the soldier who wore it on his right sleeve got away with doing it.

[atb]

My father took his basic training in the late 1940's at Camp Picket, VA with the 17th Airborne Division. It was a training division at that time. The division SSI without the "AIRBORNE" tab was worn.

[Thrifter_01]

58 minutes ago, atb said:

My father took his basic training in the late 1940's at Camp Picket, VA with the 17th Airborne Division. It was a training division at that time. The division SSI without the "AIRBORNE" tab was worn.

 

So around the same time the 101st was reactived too. Do you have any pictures of your father during that time training?

[atb]

1 hour ago, Thrifter_01 said:

 

So around the same time the 101st was reactived too. Do you have any pictures of your father during that time training?

I have his training yearbook. It has pictures of the the training 

[Thrifter_01]

On 2/21/2023 at 11:53 AM, atb said:

I have his training yearbook. It has pictures of the the training 

 

Nice! If you have the time, do you think you could find pictures of the 17th Airborne Division patch on different sleeves?