Post-WWII 1950's & 1960's US Air Force uniform photos

[astra44]

@wailuna. Great pic. What's the deal with light-colored strap on the airman's cap? White, do you think, or silver? I guess at this early date, they hadn't settled on a hat design for APs?

[Wailuna]

On 12/2/2012 at 9:01 PM, astra44 said:

...I guess at this early date, they hadn't settled on a hat design for APs?

Air Force uniform and insignia directive of those times specified “Special Items of Equipment for Air Police” which included “Black leather trim items…” (AFL 35-46A, dated July 26, 1949) but obviously local use of white chinstraps by Air Policemen occurred in some locations. Here are two place-dated examples of black and white chinstraps in use at two different locations at about the same time.

 

Air Policemen at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco, ca. 1952

 

Air Policemen at RAF Upper Heyford, England, ca. 1952

 

After poking at this subject some more, it seemed that posting the full text on AP “special items” would be a good idea.

 

Note that Air Policemen were to have white cap covers with black chinstraps, which does not appear to have been the case at Sidi Slimane and elsewhere as well. Here is another Upper Heyford AP wearing a blue cover with white chinstrap ca. 1952. Provisional WAG on blue covers with white chinstraps: This was an earlier standard for AP wear that was being supplanted by white covers with black chinstraps in the early 1950s — a mini-transition within the overall OD to Blue transition? (Perhaps someone who specializes in early AP arcana will come to our rescue.)

 

 

And here are some other Upper Heyford APs who are wearing what might be the “overcoat, field, long (Army type)” with “white rain hood”:

 

[patches]

Air Force uniform and insignia directive of those times specified “Special Items of Equipment for Air Police” which included “Black leather trim items…” (AFL 35-46A, dated July 26, 1949) but obviously local use of white chinstraps by Air Policemen occurred in some locations. Here are two place-dated examples of black and white chinstraps in use at two different locations at about the same time.

 

 

Air Policemen at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco, ca. 1952

 

Air Policemen at RAF Upper Heyford, England, ca. 1952

 

Thank's, hey what is that shoulder patch being worn by the AP in the first group? the group in Khakis, it looks like the 29th Inf Div.

[Wailuna]

...what is that shoulder patch being worn by the AP...group in Khakis, it looks like the 29th Inf Div...

Nice call, Patches. But note that the orientation of the dark/light hued hemispheres of the Air Policeman’s patch do not match the official design specs. of 29th ID’s SSI (see following images):

 

 

 

However, “mirror image” variants of this patch do exist. Link here and here to see examples of these.

 

In any cace, this AP does not look old enough to have been a wartime veteran of 29th ID but we have seen some pretty weird SSI on USAF sleeves on the Forum and this sighting might, indeed, be a 29th ID variant.

[patches]

Wailuna, thanks for the reply, if the 1952 date is correct on the captioning, 1944-45 was a mire 8 to 7 years previous, and if the patch is truly a mirror 29th Division one that he's wearing, then perhaps this guy is older than he looks, nothing new there, look at me I really do not look like I,m 51 Despite his low rank, he could have been a WWII vet and got out with a low rank, like Private, Private First Class, common enough there, here he reenlists in the AF, maybe because of the war in Korea, and choose the AF instead of the Army.

[Wailuna]

...if the patch is truly a mirror 29th Division one that he's wearing, then perhaps...he reenlists in the AF...

Then we agree. Airmen wore WWII SSI until at least late 1955, as shown in this picture of the audience at Bob Hope's 1955 Christmas Show at Keflavik, Iceland (link here for close up of two men wearing Army SSI, and one a CIB, in left foreground):

 

[Wailuna]

This airman was assigned to 1948th Airways and Air Communications Squadron (AACS), Tulln Air Base, Austria, ca. 1954. The badge on his fatigue cap was an unapproved D.I. for USAAF AACS (ASMIC #A5D? ca. 1946) Although early USAF uniform directives (e.g., AFL 35-46, April 8, 1949, etc.) permitted wearing authorized D.I. on USAF uniforms, this is one of the few sightings of a D.I. being worn that we have seen in this thread.

 

[patches]

Then we agree. Airmen wore WWII SSI until at least late 1955, as shown in this picture of the audience at Bob Hope's 1955 Christmas Show at Keflavik, Iceland (link here for close up of two men wearing Army SSI, and one a CIB, in left foreground):

 

 

 

 

Good informative photo. Curious, we see by virtue of the Blue rope that there are at least two Army Infantrymen in the audience along with other Army personel, that there were other type Army units, small support company sized units on Iceland in 1955 is a certainty, but was there in 1955 a Army TO&E Infantry unit, on Iceland? or are these guys perhaps on Iceland in transit to or from Germany and had the good luck to catch Bob's show before moving on?

[Wailuna]

...was there in 1955 a Army TO&E Infantry unit, on Iceland?

Glad you asked, Patches. Army tactical units were “on the rock” from ca. 1951 to ca. 1960. Those two Infantrymen (4th row, center) who are wearing the Infantry blue “ropes” have been reliably identified as PFC “X” (left) and Pvt. “Y” (right), members of 2nd Infantry Battalion Combat Team of the Iceland Defense Force (ex-Indigo Task Force, ex-Iceland Base Command, etc.) When this picture was taken in Dec. 1955, 2nd BCT (ex-2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion) had recently been reflagged from 99th BCT, 74th RCT. PFC “X” (left) appears to be wearing an SSI, which might be 74th RCT or it might be Iceland Defense Force. Link here for more info. As for the "un-roped" Army troops in this picture, 2nd BCT also included a battery of Field Artillerymen and a platoon of Engineers who were not authorized to wear Infantry Blue trim.

[patches]

Glad you asked, Patches. Army tactical units were “on the rock” from ca. 1951 to ca. 1960. Those two Infantrymen (4th row, center) who are wearing the Infantry blue “ropes” have been reliably identified as PFC “X” (left) and Pvt. “Y” (right), members of 2nd Infantry Battalion Combat Team of the Iceland Defense Force (ex-Indigo Task Force, ex-Iceland Base Command, etc.) When this picture was taken in Dec. 1955, 2nd BCT (ex-2nd Ranger Infantry Battalion) had recently been reflagged from 99th BCT, 74th RCT. PFC “X” (left) appears to be wearing an SSI, which might be 74th RCT or it might be Iceland Defense Force. Link here for more info. As for the "un-roped" Army troops in this picture, 2nd BCT also included a battery of Field Artillerymen and a platoon of Engineers who were not authorized to wear Infantry Blue trim.

 

 

DOOO I forgot about that Infantry unit on Iceland, thank's for pointing that out.

[Wailuna]

This brand new Chief Master Sergeant shows his stripes on June 1st, 1960, flanked by a brace of new Senior Master Sergeants. Note the diamond in the center field of his chevrons, which he wore as he was serving as first sergeant for the 1975th Airways and Air Communications Squadron at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco.

 

[patches]

This brand new Chief Master Sergeant shows his stripes on June 1st, 1960, flanked by a brace of new Senior Master Sergeants. Note the diamond in the center field of his chevrons, which he wore as he was serving as first sergeant for the 1975th Airways and Air Communications Squadron at Sidi Slimane Air Base, Morocco.

 

 

 

 

It would seem that when short sleeve shirts were worn, no collar discs were worn, is this correct? like I'm rewatching From The Earth To The Moon, the HBO series by Tom Hanks and company about the Appolo program, lots of AF guys depicted, those with the short sleeve Khaki shirts have no discs on, I thought it was a uniform error.

[Wailuna]

...It would seem that when short sleeve shirts were worn, no collar discs were worn, is this correct?

Correct. The USAF developed its own khaki uniforms ca. mid-1950s and kissed Army pattern khaki uniforms goodbye in September 1959 (see AFM 35-10, May 5, 1959). Here are comparison pictures of new style USAF khaki short sleeve shirts (officially "cotton, poplin") being worn in July 1960 by airmen in basic training (note the absence of collar brass) versus Army style long sleeve khakis being worn in July 1956 by another group of airmen in basic training (note the presence of collar brass).

 

 

[patches]

Thank,s Wailuna

[DutchInfid3l]

New photo pick ups...

 

 

Notice the aircrew wings, MP armband and the army style service stripes. Based on the angle of the lapels,; the spacing in between, I believe it to be the blue uniform. It has more of an open "v" than the ww2 style army Ike.

Any thoughts?

[Wailuna]

 

I believe it to be the blue uniform...Any thoughts?

I am thinking Army. This clipping from the USAF directive on the new uniforms shows how the jacket was styled (Air Force Letter 35-46, April 8, 1949):

 

 

Your M.P.’s jacket (and collar brass) look to me like these two jackets clipped from a December 1948 dated picture (link here):

 

[Wailuna]

A wedding in Austria ca. 1951.

 

[patches]

A wedding in Austria ca. 1951.

 

 

 

Very transitional, of note is the continued wear of Army overseas bars and hashmarks in 1951 in the AF, makes one wonder when the AF came out with their own unique Silver or Blue overseas bars and hashmarks.

[Wailuna]

...of note is the continued wear of Army overseas bars and hashmarks in 1951 in the AF, makes one wonder when the AF came out with their own unique Silver or Blue overseas bars and hashmarks...

Air Force pattern hash marks, Hershey bars, and WWI service chevrons were first authorized by the same directive that rolled out USAF Blue uniforms (AFL 35-46, April 8, 1949). These USAF insignia were visibly smaller than the corresponding Army insignia (which continued to be worn on Army pattern uniforms during the transition) and unlike the Army counterpart, the different types of insignia were of uniform dimensions and color: 1” x 3/16” stripes on blue or khaki background (to match the material of the uniforms upon which they were worn). By the directive, wear of these insignia was explicitly optional at the airman’s and officer’s discretion, as we can see in many of the pictures posted throughout this thread.

[Wailuna]

USAF sergeant wearing HBT coveralls ca. 1951 (with optional cigarette over left ear).

 

[Wailuna]

Here is an enigmatic early Air Force scene with no caption or known backstory: It is about 1950, evidently at a base somewhere in First Air Force territory (see SSI on staff sergeant, front row, second from right). As First Air Force’s primary mission in early 1950s was administration and training of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units in the Northeastern states, this might be a group of reservists assembled for training. And the sailors? Who knows.

 

[patches]

Here is an enigmatic early Air Force scene with no caption or known backstory: It is about 1950, evidently at a base somewhere in First Air Force territory (see SSI on staff sergeant, front row, second from right). As First Air Force’s primary mission in early 1950s was administration and training of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units in the Northeastern states, this might be a group of reservists assembled for training. And the sailors? Who knows.

 

 

 

 

HMM, maybe the photo was taken at Floyd Bennet Field Brooklyn, a WWII Navy Air Station, maybe by the post war period of 1950 the Navy let AF Reserves or Air Guard share and or train on the facility.

[Wailuna]

...maybe the photo was taken at Floyd Bennet Field Brooklyn, a WWII Navy Air Station, maybe by the post war period of 1950 the Navy let AF Reserves or Air Guard share and or train on the facility...

Good lead, Patches. Here is the front gate of NAS New York (aka Floyd Bennett Field) ca. 1950.

 

 

The text on the small white signs reads: "The US Naval Air Station, US Coast Guard Air Station, Marine Air Reserve Training Det., NY Air National Guard, and First US Army Flight Det." (link here)

[uplandmod]

 

This is a recent pick up from a local Antique Store. I've been waiting a year to grab it as it was overpriced but they had a 30% sale which brought it down to a reasonable price.

 

After doing some research I discovered it belong to local vet. He was an Arial Gunner on a B-24 in the PTO and later a ground crew chief. According to his obituary he was in the Korea War and Viet Nam war as well and retired in 1966.

 

The coat is dated 1945. I sent out for his records and I hope I get something back.

 

Leonardo

[patches]

Good lead, Patches. Here is the front gate of NAS New York (aka Floyd Bennett Field) ca. 1950.

 

 

 

The text on the small white signs reads: "The US Naval Air Station, US Coast Guard Air Station, Marine Air Reserve Training Det., NY Air National Guard, and First US Army Flight Det." (link here)

 

Well the backgound scene your group photo could certainly pass for for being Floyd Bennet Field, it has that same "Flat" appearance. I was at FBF twice during my brief Active Reserves stint, it had what was called and I guess still is a Reserve Center on it named The Ernie Pyle Reserve Center, that was in late 1983, at that time it had HHC 411th Engineer Brigade collocated with a Reserve Seabee unit, the other Army Reserve units of the 77th ARCOM were out of Fort Totten Queens.