Tank Destroyer SSI and Insignia

[vintageproductions]

This next one we cut off of a early OG-107 fatigue shirt in the mid-1980's. The shirt was beyond hope of salvaging, due to the rips and overall horrible condition. This is definately a older style Korean machine embroidered style. Have never seen another like this one in any collections.

[Rattle]

Your first one is interesting. It looks like a sewing error. The outline of the head and tank matches the normal patch. The was was shifted to the right.

 

regards,

Stephan

[Jeeper704]

I believe an Apache helicopter unit is or was using the TD patch again.

Has anyone information on that and maybe photos too?

Thanks.

 

That patch looks indeed like a sewing error.

I got a similar one, but not so far off center like this one (you can see it in the picture I posted).

 

@Jerry: do you have information on those dogtags? unit?

Nice grouping.

 

Erwin

[vintageproductions]

Thank you for your comments on our odd Tank Destroyer patch. I will say again we have never seen another one like this or one even closely similar.

 

I understand the comment about the posted being similar but actually it is not even close. The patch shown does have the panthers head slightly angled to the right, while ours has the head completely imposed over the tank. On a regular TD patch the panther is biting into the tank with the lightning bolts in it's mouth. This particular variant just shows a snarling panther head looking to the right and is in front of a tank. The tank does not have any cogs, or other details, and there are no lightning bolts in its mouth. From all the other advanced TD collectors that have seen this it is generally agreed, that this was not a error patch, but it was a proposal design that a embroidery company jumped the gun and made before the specifics were approved.

 

On to the question earlier about the reverse angle guns. About twelve years ago the Great Western gun show, I ran onto a table that had a tin cookie can full of Tank Destriyer patches. Not really looking hard, I saw there were numerous 4 & 8 wheel variants. Asked the seller how much, and bought the whole can. Later that weekend we started dividing them up into the two obvious variants and realized there were about twenty of the reversed direction barrels. Unfortunately, didn't think anything about them and just sold them off as odd variants. Have never owned another one since.

 

Another great variant, we have only had once, was a two tank barrel variant. When I had my first shop a elderly gentleman walked in with his patch albums that he had collected since he was a kid. In the album was a double barrelled variant. When I pressed him for info about it, and where it came from he couldn't remember. To this day I have always wanted to see another but haven't. It is now in a very advanced armor collection, so when I get homesick to see this patch, I go to the collectors house. Have never seen another one, have never even read any reference about it. That is a mystery I would still love to know more about.

 

The last bit was about a six wheel TD variant. I have handled two of these in the last five years or so. Both were the true six wheels where the three wheels on each side are in a perfect row and the cogs are almost identical in size. The reason I say that is, we have seen manufacturer errors where a needle ran out of thread while doing a eight wheel variant and one of the lower wheels is missing, and the seller claims it is a "Rare 6 wheel variation". The two we sold went to two really advanced collectors who understood the rarity of these patches, and were sold for significantly more than what was stated earlier in this thread. I believe Bill Scott has one listed on Ebay rigth now and when I last checked the price it was still at a very fair wholesale price.

 

Just my thoughts on this great patch topic.

Bob Chatt

Vintage Productions

[34BDQ]

Well, that's my few. I'd love to lay hands on a legit 6 wheel if anyone is looking to part with one.

 

Thanks and enjoy.

 

Almost forgot, not a patch, but a real worn tab. There are fakes of these out there so be careful.

 

Saw this for sale on ebay, and it is real! Ebay # 140085421968

[General Apathy]

 

Hi All, here are a couple of sweetheart pins related to the subject, the background cards measure 2 x 2.1/2 inches. I have others of these with parawings, gliderwings, B-17 aircraft etc. The background cards all show different amounts of ageing from how they had been stored since the war. Cheers ( Lewis )

[Jim Baker]

Here are a couple we have, right now. This first one is no doubt WWII construction, but the only thing we can figure out is that is is a proto-type patch for the tank destroyer forces.Possibly an embroidery company was told that this patch design would have a tank and a panthers head, and they jumped the gun and made it before the actual sketches came in.

 

Bob,

 

This is an error patch. There are a few out there, as I was offered one. If you look at the patch, you can see that the features are just out of alignment and the wheels are missing. Still a cool patch.

[Jim Baker]

Does this one count??

[Tom Pearcy]

Here is my only four contribution. Thought you might like to see another variation of the type with wool felt field. I too have a disc with silver halftrack. It breaks down into five pieces. can post a pic if anyone would like to see it.

[General Apathy]

 

Hi, here is a family members in service pin, showing tanks branch of service, the tank is about 3/4 inch long. Cheers ( Lewis )

[Tom Pearcy]

Tom,

 

I like the felt patch. And I would like to see your disk. Thanks.

 

 

As you can see, this disc breaks down into "Five Easy Pieces".

[Jim Baker]

A green back.

[Walt175]

Here's one I picked up a few years ago.

[tredhed2]

Here are my TD patches with unit tabs. Tabs (or scrolls) are most interesting to me because they are unit specific.

 

The patch w/ the TD motto of SEEK STRIKE DESTROY was a nice find. Don't know the significance of the three dots at the top -3rd TD Gp? 3rd TD Bde?

 

I like the embroidered on wool PX patch. It's much larger than the typical TD patch.

 

The 601st TD Bn is on tan wool, and the numbers are also embroidered in. Could be N. African-made, but probably Italian made.

 

more to come....

[tredhed2]

The 607th TD Bn was personalised by the vet who gave it to me when he added the #s.......hmmm.

 

The 637th tab came to me off good ol' Ebay; Japanese made, fully embroidered.

 

The 643rd has the motto of HIT HARD on their DIs. A friend of mine, who knows I like TD insignia, got it for me at a regular auction years ago.

[tredhed2]

The 645th is zig-zag embroidered onto blue satin. The TD patch has some bullion details.

 

The 648th is chain-stitched to OD material.

 

The 679th TD Bn was a black unit which served in Italy. Crudely made, but rare.

[tredhed2]

The skull on the lozenge is for the 801st TD Bn; it was evidently worn here in the states. It is fel;t on felt with embroidered "teeth". There is an article on the battalion in The Trading Post, published by ASMIC.

 

The 825th, chainstitched and munched on, came w/ a unit history. They were body guards for Bradley and 12th AG.

 

Co. A, 894th TD Bn, is on yellow material.

 

T-t-t-t-t-hat's all, f-f-f-f-f-olks! Enjoy, Jim and friends.

[Jeeper704]

Here some additional TD items;

Picture of Captain Lecil Parker, sr who was - according to the seller - a WWI Veteran.
His son was in the 8th USAAF stationed in England.



Picture of an M-10(?) Tank Destroyer in France (suburbs of Paris?)



Erwin

[scottplen]

heres one i just picked up wierd 4 wheel no red lighting bolts . i figured i would add it to this post

[36-tex]

Pillow case and a couple of patches

[Jeeper704]

Very nice pillow case.

Be careful with it as they tend to be very fragile.

 

Erwin

[Jeeper704]

Small overview of the TD uniforms I have;



And my Armored and TD patches display;



Erwin

[Jeeper704]

Here is a photo I found in a book (I think Turner's "Tank Destroyer Forces WWII" book) some time ago.
Imagine finding this original.

US Army photo.

Erwin

[Jeeper704]

Maybe the TD unit attached to the 2nd Armored at the time of the Normandy Campaign?

 

Erwin

[craig_pickrall]

A photo spread from an unknown issue of LIFE Magazine. It is WW2 period.

 

 

An ad that appeared in many magazines. This is from LIFE Magazine dated FEB 21, 1944.