Need Help in ID´ng Patch

[doughboy]

Hello Gentlemen,

I need again your help in ID`ng these two patches.Both patches looking good and are not reacting under Blacklight but the 2nd type of this patch has compared to the

1st type only a little snow on the backside.What is your opinion.Thank`s for your help

 

doughboy

[erctut1]

Mars Task Force

[Teamski]

Both patches are the 5307th Composite unit (provisional), AKA Merrill's Marauders. The first one looks like a repro with synthetic return threads on the back (fish string). The second looks like a good WWII era example.

 

-Ski

[J_Andrews]

U.S.-made Marauders SSIs did not exist in the CBI and were likely made up by Patch King and possibly only well after V-J Day. Hence, "post-war" applies to them, and these specimens look 1960s-on.

[rmoore456]

http://www.usarmypatches.com/

[doughboy]

Thank you for the answers,--J_Andrews what you want to say is "Original"Marauders SSI`s are only existing as Theater Made SSI - am I right ?

[J_Andrews]

"Original"?

 

The 5307th (reorganized as the 475th Inf Regt 10 Aug 44) had or wore NO SSI, other than the CBI theater patch for "dress", not field wear. The 475th in turn was inactivated in Chia, 1 July 45.

 

Long ago 475th vets told me that not even all the men present for the stand-down ceremony -- less than 1,000 IIRC, due to KIAs and in hospital and reassigned -- were given an SSI. The ones given out were locally made and crude. And they would have been WORN, other than at the ceremony, as right-sleeve combat patches, by former members of the 475th aas they headed home for discharge. And perhaps not more than half of the 475th troops of mid-1945 had served in the 5307th. The 5307th absorbed huge casualties and the 475th had high losses as well, due as much to disease and injury as enemy action.

 

The SSIs pictured are not "Original", if you use that term to mean "made and used by the unit NLT V-J Day". They are most likely not even from the batches made by Patch King in 1945-1948. They look to be from no earlier than the 1960s.

[Wailuna]

"Original" and on-the-hoof:

 

 

Caption with photo: Sgt. [Henry T.] Gosho served 16 months in the Burma-India theatre attached to Army Combat Intelligence with General Frank Merrill's Marauders until April, 1945, at which time he returned to the United States and is now convalescing at Fitzsimons General Hospital preparatory to being given a medical discharge. He wears the Presidential Citation, Bronze Star, the Pacific Ribbon with 3 campaign stars, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the shoulder patch of Merrill's Marauders. He was nicknamed Horizontal Hank because of his ability to hit the ground fast when a shell came his way. Although declared by doctors to be flat-footed and not qualified physically for combat, he walked 1030 miles and contracted malaria 7 times in addition to other tropical diseases....Photographer: Iwasaki, Hikaru -- Denver, Colorado. 4/28/45...

[Wailuna]

And one with the "Merrill's Marauders" scroll:

 

 

Caption with photo: T/Sgt. Thomas K. Tsubota of Honolulu, one of 14 Nisei sent to General Merrill's Marauders in India in September, 1943. He is now a patient in Palm Springs army hospital for treatment of chronic malaria contracted in jungle fighting…Sgt. Tsubota was trained as an interpreter, but as all Merrill's men were combat troops he went through a stiff course in commando and jungle fighting…-- Photographer: Mace, Charles E. -- Los Angeles, California. 6/23/45...

[J_Andrews]

BRAVO!

 

Glad to see the EVIDENCE (dated, even).

[tredhed2]

I have seen a photo of another MM wearing a US-made SSI but can not find it...sheesh

 

I learned a long time ago to rely upon or accept what vets told me was worn or not worn only with reservations. Why?

 

The vast majority of vets couldn't care less about trying to remember what they may have worn or seen worn.

 

Point 1. C my Constab display in the Displays section. There were more than 100,000 men (and a few women) who wore the Constab patch; I have numerous patches w/ unit scrolls and most of the time, the men in that particular squadron, say "I never saw it or we never wore it". The only Contab vets who agree that a scroll was worn are those who served w/ the 16th Constab Sq (Sep)

 

Point 2. I have a display of 40th ID patches, and a few scrolls that are all KW era. To a man, those who were in units represented by the scrolls all deny seeing/wearing them. One of the unit scrolls came with an entire grouping w/ beaucoup ID of the vet to the specific unit.

[phillock]

Hi Guys

 

Would the following be regarded as post WWII made by Patch King or would they be manufacturers stocks? Dont know if you can make this out but the pointed version has blue stitching seems to have been worn maybe as combat patch? Phill

 

[phillock]

Hi Guys

 

Would the following be regarded as post WWII made by Patch King or would they be manufacturers stocks? Dont know if you can make this out but the pointed version has blue stitching seems to have been worn maybe as combat patch? Phill

Backs

 

[tredhed2]

They both look original WW II period.

[doyler]

Also have seen one or two examples(PK/HG) worn as combat/right sleeve patches on 60s era unifoms by former Maraurders who stayed in the army.