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Part II early US Air Force transitional


louie
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The odd ball colored E-1 and E-4 chevrons are some made in embroidering runs to make sure the pattern is being embroidered correctly. They were not intended to be worn, just to make sure the machinery that made them was working properly. This subject has been covered before on this forum. The winged prop "branch-of-service", chevrons were used by the AAF long after they had disappeared from other branches and some were being worn late in the war by some old-salt NCO's.

The white on white mess-dress chevrons have also been discussed in an earlier thread on this forum. I don't have the dates of usage here with me, but if memory serves me right they were used from the late 50's to the early 1970's. (Better look up the old thread and check on this.)

The original black on green subdued chevrons were mostly made in southeast asia as that's the only place they were supposed to be worn during the Vietnam War. When anyone came back stateside , they had to change back to the full color chevrons. It wasn't until the 70's that the blue on OD subdued chevrons came into use and most of those were US made.

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The odd ball colored E-1 and E-4 chevrons are some made in embroidering runs to make sure the pattern is being embroidered correctly. They were not intended to be worn, just to make sure the machinery that made them was working properly. This subject has been covered before on this forum. The winged prop "branch-of-service", chevrons were used by the AAF long after they had disappeared from other branches and some were being worn late in the war by some old-salt NCO's.

The white on white mess-dress chevrons have also been discussed in an earlier thread on this forum. I don't have the dates of usage here with me, but if memory serves me right they were used from the late 50's to the early 1970's. (Better look up the old thread and check on this.)

The original black on green subdued chevrons were mostly made in southeast asia as that's the only place they were supposed to be worn during the Vietnam War. When anyone came back stateside , they had to change back to the full color chevrons. It wasn't until the 70's that the blue on OD subdued chevrons came into use and most of those were US made.

 

 

Thanks for the info. Especially interesting to hear the story on the early colored chevrons. I hadn't seen the posting on those. So, it seems they are really just a novelty item to own rather than an actual piece of of militaria. They are sold all over eBay as early AF transitional items. But still a part of the overall history, I guess.

Also, I had no idea that USAF didn't issue subdued until so late. I guess if you wanted subdued in SE Asia, you had to get them made, or you just put up with wearing the regular sliver/gray on blue! Thank you too for clarifying that.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Although lots of great uniforms and related insignia have been posted in this thread there's been no mention of the USAF officers' summer uniform, introduced in the early 50s. Similar in design to the Army TW summer uniform, it differed by virtue of its colour which I believe was known as silver sand and which was a cool grey-ish khaki shade as opposed to the warmer pink-ish khaki shade of Army TWs. I've never seen such a uniform, apart from in b/w period photos...and the 50s movie "Strategic Air Command"! Does anyone out there have an example of such a uniform which they'd consider posting? Thanks.

 

Ian

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...there's been no mention of the USAF officers' summer uniform, introduced in the early 50s....I've never seen such a uniform, apart from in b/w period photos...

The USAF Summer Tan Shade 193 "Silver Tans" service dress uniform, 1949 -1965. Go back to the mother ship to see one (link here).

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The USAF Summer Tan Shade 193 "Silver Tans" service dress uniform, 1949 -1965. Go back to the mother ship to see one (link here).

 

 

 

 

Great...thanks Wailuna. These "silver TAN" (!) uniforms seem to be rarer than hen's teeth in collecting circles...certainly on this side of the Big Pond anyway!

 

 

Ian :thumbsup:

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  • 1 month later...

This thread is one of the most informative on here in my opinion. fantastic.

Any examples of Shade 509 utilities to post ( I am after a set in a big size 44/36 to display in BTW)

 

Back to blues..

I have two plain shade 84 Ike jackets, a mothed Msgt private purchase set with insignia and two full officer sets coming. Seeing some of the examples here are an inspiration.

 

Tim.

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Great...thanks Wailuna. These "silver TAN" (!) uniforms seem to be rarer than hen's teeth in collecting circles...certainly on this side of the Big Pond anyway!

Ian :thumbsup:

 

I just picked up another one I'll be selling a little later: it had no insignia on it, but I had put some period insignia on it for this photo. It has markings where it had wings pinned on. I was trying to figure out whether they used the small or large rank insignia -

 

aftan.jpg

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This insignia is correct. Large rank badges on epaulettes. This would have been worn with silver tan shirt and blue tie...blue cap. Great uniform!

 

 

I just picked up another one I'll be selling a little later: it had no insignia on it, but I had put some period insignia on it for this photo. It has markings where it had wings pinned on. I was trying to figure out whether they used the small or large rank insignia -

 

post-214-1261325291.jpg

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Stinger Gunner USMC

So, would an Early Air Force officer, still wearing an Army officers Ike or dress jacket between 1947 and 1950, wear gold US devices and AAF Officers wing and prop devices, would they just wear the gold US devices, or would they wear silver US devices?

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So, would an Early Air Force officer, still wearing an Army officers Ike or dress jacket between 1947 and 1950, wear gold US devices and AAF Officers wing and prop devices, would they just wear the gold US devices, or would they wear silver US devices?

 

 

Just hang in there and Wailuna will doubtless post the relevent pages from the Officer's handbook!

 

 

Sabrejet ;)

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Great...thanks Wailuna. These "silver TAN" (!) uniforms seem to be rarer than hen's teeth in collecting circles...certainly on this side of the Big Pond anyway!

Ian :thumbsup:

 

I have three sets of these officer's silver tans. I believe I posted this about three years ago somewhere but here it is again, just for reference.

 

post-1107-1261948328.jpg

 

post-1107-1261948334.jpg

 

post-1107-1261948339.jpg

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So, would an Early Air Force officer, still wearing an Army officers Ike or dress jacket between 1947 and 1950, wear gold US devices and AAF Officers wing and prop devices, would they just wear the gold US devices, or would they wear silver US devices?

 

I don't have the picture personally but I remember seeing a color photo of J.J. Jabarra and several other officers (a couple other Aces as well) standing around a flightline canteen in Japan during the Korean War. They are wearing a mix of uniforms; Army Air Forces chocolates, AF Blue, full length blouses, Ikes, the whole lot all standing together.

 

It was published in an old, out of print book by Bob Dorr on the AF in Korea.

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...So, would an Early Air Force officer, still wearing an Army officers Ike or dress jacket between 1947 and 1950, wear gold US devices and AAF Officers wing and prop devices, would they just wear the gold US devices, or would they wear silver US devices?
...Just hang in there and Wailuna will doubtless post the relevent pages from the Officer's handbook!

Actually, this question was explicitly addressed in AFL 35-46 of April 9, 1949, (para. 1.b. -- see post #21 of this thread), which provided that "Army-type interim uniforms" were authorized to be worn until July 1, 1952. The authorized uniform and insignia combinations continued to be governed by the same USAF directives that had been in force all along (i.e., AFL 35-4 of September 1, 1948, and 35-47 of November 22, 1948). In short, gold color brass collar and lapel insignia (including the wing-and-prop) and cap insignia and buttons continued to be worn on the Army pattern uniforms until July 1952.

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Stinger Gunner USMC
Actually, this question was explicitly addressed in AFL 35-46 of April 9, 1949, (para. 1.b. -- see post #21 of this thread), which provided that "Army-type interim uniforms" were authorized to be worn until July 1, 1952. The authorized uniform and insignia combinations continued to be governed by the same USAF directives that had been in force all along (i.e., AFL 35-4 of September 1, 1948, and 35-47 of November 22, 1948). In short, gold color brass collar and lapel insignia (including the wing-and-prop) and cap insignia and buttons continued to be worn on the Army pattern uniforms until July 1952.

Thank you for the prompt answer and directing me to the correct post number. I skimed through this thread and missed the answer! My reference is to the Harold Barry uniform that you commented on in the Aircraft thread the other day. My wife is out of town this week and has the camera with her, so I will wait until next weekend to post the grouping.

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...My reference is to the Harold Barry uniform that you commented on in the Aircraft thread the other day...

As Capt. Barry was killed early in 1951, it will be interesting to see his uniform, presumably as it was in 1951. It will be like opening a time capsule and this will be an appropriate venue for it. Let's see how it lines up with the 1949 directive.

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Stinger Gunner USMC
One day I hope to ID this guy. No name in the jacket; just a Pentagon Uniform Store label in the inside pocket.

Kurt

 

post-322-1262041462.jpg post-322-1262041509.jpg

What a beautiful uniform! Love the wings and embroidered ribbon rack! Have you checked him against the Air Force GO biographies on their website to look for possible matches? Also, I know there is one serious AF GO uniform collector with his own website. I know 4STARCHRIS knows the guy. Perhaps he may have resources to help ID it? Defenintly a worth while research project!

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I don't have the picture personally but I remember seeing a color photo of J.J. Jabarra and several other officers (a couple other Aces as well) standing around a flightline canteen in Japan during the Korean War. They are wearing a mix of uniforms; Army Air Forces chocolates, AF Blue, full length blouses, Ikes, the whole lot all standing together.

 

It was published in an old, out of print book by Bob Dorr on the AF in Korea.

 

Here's a lower resolution scan of the picture I was talking about. It was taken on the flightline in Japan early in the Korean War. It shows Capt Jabara and two other F-86 pilots in an interesting mix of Air Force uniforms.

 

post-1107-1262129269.jpg

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Stinger Gunner USMC

Very cool photo indeed! Nice mix 1of uniforms with the Pinks and Greens, all Chocolate Ike and the early AF Blue Ike. I also love seeing the early "Roach Coach" behind them

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so what about the waistbelt in the transitional period? blue with brass, blue with shiny white metal, blue with dull metal...?

In the 50's with the military's obsession with 'bling' would the belt buckles with branch insignia have endured?

OD with brass open frame buckle or not? OD with white metal belt? I supect that your buckle matched your collar insignia and I cant see an OD belt gracing a blue uniform any more than a blue one on OD pants.

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