This is the first Operations Crossroads 58th Wing, 509th Composite group patch I have pulled the trigger on. I’m wary of the traditional mass-produced patch since it is readily duplicated, but the small-batch patches and painted leather patches always catch my eye. This one has a lot of nice qualities to it, and the colors, details, material, and quality of manufacturing all point me in a positive direction.

 

I am wondering if anyone else has a similar design in their collection, or has seen this type before? I’ve searched several resources but there is such variation due to the size of this operation that there really isn’t one definitive guide.

 

None of the fibers fluoresce under UV, just the typical white whites and muted to almost brownish reds. It’s a thicker patch on an almost electric blue canvas cloth. The atomic bomb cloud, lightning bolts, and braided frame are all soft and smooth. The braided yellow/gold lettering is a single rope expertly stitched in place.

 

The minor smudges of oil/dirt around the stitched edges of the devices is consistent with the suspected age of the patch, and easily flake off the canvas. Even the smell is consistent with other Crossroad’s paraphernalia I’ve collected (Atomic Blast newspapers, RAAF yearbooks, Short Snorters) which is that musty tobacco shop sitting in the middle of a military airfield.

 

All in all a very pleasing and interesting patch full of detail and wonderful color. If anyone has anything similar they can trace back to the 1947 test I’d love to see it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks very Pakistani embroidery

50 minutes ago, vintageproductions said:

Looks very Pakistani embroidery

I have seen plenty of theater made patches from the Pacific that sport the same kind of manufacturing. The silk, cotton, and bullion GHQ patches come to mind. Tinian, Eniweetok and the other islands would still have had Japanese laborers on them during the test period, and this sort of work is exactly what I would expect. 
 

The blue cloth background is nearly rigid with age. Still can be flexed but holds a memory of where it’s been and reverts back to its original shape after a few seconds. Crossroads is oddly niche for how huge an event it was.

I agree with Bob it looks Paki made it is not something I would buy. Scotty