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

[astra44]

England, 1951: Picture on the left, my Dad, with his buddy, Bray, taking a little time off by the sea. On the right, same two guys in fatigues back on base at RAF Manston; but note S/Sgt Bray still wearing Army chevrons......

 

My old man, (then) PFC Gordon Ellis, USAF -- Copenhagen, Denmark, 1949. I think on a few days leave from the Berlin Ailrlift. Hard to see for sure, but looks like the wartime USSTAF patch on his shoulder? But by 1951 he's wearing that patch on the left arm....(see an earlier posting).

 

Not a uniform photo, but certainly from the early USAF period, so I guess this is the best place to post the picture. This was my Dad's personalized suitcase; the style I believe known as a "B-4 Bag". (If I'm wrong on that, I'm sure somebody will let me know.) I think it was a dark blue color. Surely dates from late '40s? Notice the "AF" prefixed on his serial number. I have my Dad’s dog tags from WW2/AAF and also USAF – seems the AF ones came into use as early as 1948. Hope this is of some interest...

[Wailuna]

...Notice the "AF" prefixed on his serial number. I have my Dad’s dog tags from WW2/AAF and also USAF – seems the AF ones came into use as early as 1948. Hope this is of some interest...

Nice B-4 pattern bag, Astra.

 

Indeed, your dad's serial number is very interesting. When your dad enlisted during WWII, serial numbers with lead digits “10” were allotted to the Army’s overseas “Departments” (which were held to be equivalent to Army Corps Areas) for assignment to Regular Army enlisted men. Hawaiian Dept. ranged from 10 10 0000 to 10 19 9999; Panama Canal Dept. 10 20 0000 to 10 29 9999; Philippine Dept. 10 30 0000 to 10 39 9999; Puerto Rican Dept. 10 40 0000 to 10 49 9999. Then there was a big gap before First Corps Area which ranged from 11 00 0000 to 11 99 9999. The "AF" prefix was added to USAF serial numbers of Regular Air Force enlisted men in September 1949.

 

Your dad's number 10 60 1439 does not fit this pattern at all. Where did he enlist?

[astra44]

Nice B-4 pattern bag, Astra.

 

Indeed, your dad's serial number is very interesting. When your dad enlisted during WWII, serial numbers with lead digits “10” were allotted to the Army’s overseas “Departments” (which were held to be equivalent to Army Corps Areas) for assignment to Regular Army enlisted men. Hawaiian Dept. ranged from 10 10 0000 to 10 19 9999; Panama Canal Dept. 10 20 0000 to 10 29 9999; Philippine Dept. 10 30 0000 to 10 39 9999; Puerto Rican Dept. 10 40 0000 to 10 49 9999. Then there was a big gap before First Corps Area which ranged from 11 00 0000 to 11 99 9999. The "AF" prefix was added to USAF serial numbers of Regular Air Force enlisted men in September 1949.

 

Your dad's number 10 60 1439 does not fit this pattern at all. Where did he enlist?

 

Wailuna -- you have very sharp eyes. My Dad enlisted in USAAF in 1943 right after turning 18, in London, England. (The family were in Britain at the time.) His brother was already in the British Army, and at some point after Pearl Harbor, as a US Citizen he was able to transfer to the US 29th Inf Div, and found himself going up Omaha Beach on D-Day.

[rr01]

Not a uniform photo, but certainly from the early USAF period, so I guess this is the best place to post the picture. This was my Dad's personalized suitcase; the style I believe known as a "B-4 Bag". (If I'm wrong on that, I'm sure somebody will let me know.) I think it was a dark blue color. Surely dates from late '40s? Notice the "AF" prefixed on his serial number. I have my Dad’s dog tags from WW2/AAF and also USAF – seems the AF ones came into use as early as 1948. Hope this is of some interest...

Manston in '51? We were there at the same time though I don't have any memories of our stay, except riding the trains.

Anyhow, I am pretty sure the B~4 bag in the picture is a commercial version sold in most base/post exchanges of the time. It was a different material than the issue version and was almost always adorned with whatever way the owner chose to personalize it. They still sold these when I came in in the late '60s and what else I remember is the zipper not being "mil~spec" so it was always good to have a belt or cord to prevent a truly catastrophic wardrobe malfunction.

Great pics, thanks for helping stir memories.

[astra44]

Manston in '51? We were there at the same time though I don't have any memories of our stay, except riding the trains.

Anyhow, I am pretty sure the B~4 bag in the picture is a commercial version sold in most base/post exchanges of the time. It was a different material than the issue version and was almost always adorned with whatever way the owner chose to personalize it. They still sold these when I came in in the late '60s and what else I remember is the zipper not being "mil~spec" so it was always good to have a belt or cord to prevent a truly catastrophic wardrobe malfunction.

Great pics, thanks for helping stir memories.

 

Thanks for the info on the personalized B-4 bags. I wish my Dad had kept his!

[astra44]

Welcoming all to March AFB, Riverside, Calif, 1955-6. (15th AF, flying B-47s for SAC.)

 

And a slighty closer shot of same.....

[astra44]

March AFB, Riverside, California, 1955. NCOs, including my old man standing in the back row.

 

Clearer pic.....Notice some are still wearing what appear to be unit award ribbons above right breast pocket. Was '55 the last year this was authorized?

[DutchInfid3l]

Clearer pic.....Notice some are still wearing what appear to be unit award ribbons above right breast pocket. Was '55 the last year this was authorized?

 

My grandfather (on the left looking at photo) is still wearing his, along with a two others not wearing nametags, and the award has February 1961 written on it.

 

[astra44]

My grandfather (on the left looking at photo) is still wearing his, along with a two others not wearing nametags, and the award has February 1961 written on it.

 

 

 

I had heard that USAF completely "cleaned up" the uniform in the mid-50s. I guess not! Thanks for posting this interesting photo.

[Wailuna]

...I had heard that USAF completely "cleaned up" the uniform in the mid-50s. I guess not!

The USAF uniform “clean-up” project was well underway by 1955 but it was still a work-in-progress for some items until the 1960s. The Distinguished Unit Citation (renamed Presidential Unit Citation in 1957) was one such case. As we see it was being worn Army fashion as late as 1961 in the images above (also here and here). According to USAF directives ca. 1957, the DUC (PUC) was “…worn immediately above the pocket of the right breast to the wearer’s left of all other such emblems.” (source: The Air Officer’s Guide, 10th ed., January 1957, p. 259).

 

There were two unit awards that the Air Force did "clean up" before 1957: The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was authorized in January 1954. This unit award was worn over the left breast pocket, the ruling that evidently launched the current USAF practice of wearing all ribbons above the left pocket. At the time it was created, the AFOUA ranked between the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal, which were both used by the USAF until the corresponding Air Force Commendation and Good Conduct medals were authorized in March 1958 and in July 1960, respectively. The AFOUA replaced the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, which the USAF stopped awarding and prohibited wearing on the Air Force uniform (same source as above), although the MUC was authorized in USAF colors ca. mid-1950s (link here). It would be interesting to know if MUCs awarded to members of USAF before this ban were converted AFOUAs...probably not but more research needed.

[astra44]

The USAF uniform “clean-up” project was well underway by 1955 but it was still a work-in-progress for some items until the 1960s. The Distinguished Unit Citation (renamed Presidential Unit Citation in 1957) was one such case. As we see it was being worn Army fashion as late as 1961 in the images above (also here and here). According to USAF directives ca. 1957, the DUC (PUC) was “…worn immediately above the pocket of the right breast to the wearer’s left of all other such emblems.” (source: The Air Officer’s Guide, 10th ed., January 1957, p. 259).

 

There were two unit awards that the Air Force did "clean up" before 1957: The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award was authorized in January 1954. This unit award was worn over the left breast pocket, the ruling that evidently launched the current USAF practice of wearing all ribbons above the left pocket. At the time it was created, the AFOUA ranked between the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Good Conduct Medal, which were both used by the USAF until the corresponding Air Force Commendation and Good Conduct medals were authorized in March 1958 and in July 1960, respectively. The AFOUA replaced the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation, which the USAF stopped awarding and prohibited wearing on the Air Force uniform (same source as above), although the MUC was authorized in USAF colors ca. mid-1950s (link here). It would be interesting to know if MUCs awarded to members of USAF before this ban were converted AFOUAs...probably not but more research needed.

 

 

Thanks for the info.....this topic has evolved into a very informative thread.

[astra44]

Top pin, for comparison, is just the standard USAF rank badge that’s been in use for decades – although I’m not sure when they were first introduced. But below is a much earlier example. I'm wondering if it was theater made (Korea?) as it is very crudely manufactured: it has a pin back welded/soldered to what looks like stamped sheet metal. Measures just over 1½ inches across. Any ideas on this one?

 

From large rank pins to small. I believe this M/Sgt metal tie-tack dates from the early ‘60s. The colors in the pic are correct: the chevrons are a light blue enamel. As well as silver-tone, as pictured, these also came in gold-tone finish……… Authorized wear??

[Wailuna]

...Top pin, for comparison, is just the standard USAF rank badge that's been in use for decades – although I'm not sure when they were first introduced. But below is a much earlier example. I'm wondering if it was theater made (Korea?) as it is very crudely manufactured: it has a pin back welded/soldered to what looks like stamped sheet metal. Measures just over 1½ inches across. Any ideas on this one?

Made-in-Korea Army and Marine Corps chevrons of similar style and quality as your Air Force three-striper have been posted on the Forum (good luck finding them).

 

The smaller enameled version of USAF chevron pin has been around since the mid-1960s at least. Link here to see some being worn by SAC crew members.

 

Here is another transitional oddity: An Air Force NCO wearing a crudely made Army style Staff Sergeant pin on his fatigue cap in Korea ca. 1951.

[DutchInfid3l]

But below is a much earlier example. I'm wondering if it was theater made (Korea?) as it is very crudely manufactured: it has a pin back welded/soldered to what looks like stamped sheet metal. Measures just over 1½ inches across. Any ideas on this one?[/b]

 

Same here. Stamped metal... 1 1/2 inches across. I've had this one forever.

 

 

[patches]

I have noticed that there are very few photos online of the US Air Force personnel and uniforms from the early days of the service. There's lots of Army Air Force and a fair amount of modern USAF but not much of the early days. If we can get enough photos we might break them out into categories but for now let's see what we can come up with and provide create a reference source for early USAF uniforms.

 

I'll start with a 1949 USAF jacket:

 

 

Airmen Will Stockdale Basic training 1957 as permanent latrine orderly

[astra44]

Airmen Will Stockdale Basic training 1957 as permanent latrine orderly

The "P.L.O." !

[astra44]

Helen Ann Lambeck, c.1955-56. Airman Lambeck's hat is a different style from the one seen in post #247 (above) -- although the pictures were taken right in the same period. I guess both types were in use at same time?

 

Another example from the '50s of the style of cap shown in post #247.

[Wailuna]

...Airman Lambeck's hat is a different style from the one seen in post #247 (above) -- although the pictures were taken right in the same period. I guess both types were in use at same time?

 

 

You are correct that both styles were in use at the same time in the 1950s. Airman Lambeck is wearing the Service and Dress Hat, which consisted of a frame with interchangeable seasonal hat covers ( a ) a wool cover for winter wear (gray shade 167) and ( b ) a cotton corded cover for summer wear (blue, white, and black stripe shade 166). There was also an optional white cover to be worn with the WAF dress white uniform.

 

The second WAF is wearing the Flight Cap which came in blue only (shade 84).

 

This information appears in The Air Officer's Guide 5th Edition (1951) and 10th Edition (1957) and possibly in editions before and after these.

[astra44]

 

You are correct that both styles were in use at the same time in the 1950s. Airman Lambeck is wearing the Service and Dress Hat, which consisted of a frame with interchangeable seasonal hat covers ( a ) a wool cover for winter wear (gray shade 167) and ( b ) a cotton corded cover for summer wear (blue, white, and black stripe shade 166). There was also an optional white cover to be worn with the WAF dress white uniform.

 

The second WAF is wearing the Flight Cap which came in blue only (shade 84).

 

This information appears in The Air Officer's Guide 5th Edition (1951) and 10th Edition (1957) and possibly in editions before and after these.

@Wailuna -- Thanks for the heads-up (pun intended) on the hats.......

[Bluehawk]

This information appears in The Air Officer's Guide 5th Edition (1951) and 10th Edition (1957) and possibly in editions before and after these.

The 1957 edition includes, too, a "Flight Cap" but I have no photo of it at the moment.

[DutchInfid3l]

The 1957 edition includes, too, a "Flight Cap" but I have no photo of it at the moment.

 

Photos... not mine, but in my "stash" of photos found online for reference.

 

The following are from Jackson Library, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Found here.

 

Portrait of Anna Kalar, circa 1952

 

 

 

[patches]

The "P.L.O." !

 

The perpetually bemused Don Knotts, CLASSIC !

[Captainofthe7th]

Here are a couple more recent acquisitions:

 

 

This one is named to T/Sgt Grulke, he flew in the CBI in WWII and was stationed in Japan during Korea.

 

Rob

[astra44]

Here are a couple more recent acquisitions:

 

Rob

 

 

Very nice examples.......

[astra44]

Just picked up one of these on eBay for only a few bucks. I know what it is. But when? Pretty early -- but how early? And how long were these issued? And what about a photo of an Airman wearing one?!