Original WWII era 508th PIR patch. Apppears to have been removed from a uniform, but it has strong colors and no detracting issues.
The 508th was attached to the 82nd Airborne during WWII and valorously participated in the following engagements:
Price: $175.00 (USD)
This was the first named WWII Airborne group I acquired for my collection and it remains one of my favorites.
The veteran served in WWII from 6-10-1944 to 6-4-1946. He completed jump school in time to make a combat jump with the 507th PIR during Operation Varsity (Rhine River Crossing). Being a late war replacement, Benson did not have enough points to return to the states and was transferred to the 508th PIR for occupation duty in Germany.
This group consists of:
• Ike Jacket with 17th and 82nd Airborne SSIs, Belgian fourragère, sterling jump wings with star (for his combat jump), three-place ribbon bar (GCM, ETO w/ invasion arrowhead and two campaign stars, WWII Victory Medal), Sterling Combat Infantry Badge, PUC, Ruptured Duck, EM Inf collar devices (domed), and three overseas stripes.
• Two infantry piped overseas caps (one with Para/Glider patch)
• M42 Jump Jacket and Trousers
• Wool shirt, trousers, and waist belt with a brass roller buckle
• Army soap case
• Colorized portrait in period frame
• Framed jump certificate
• Army Song Book and Soldiers Handbook
• Spare buttons with drawstring bag
• German Heer buckle, dress bayonet, and leather frog
• Two place ribbon bar (GCM, ETO w/ Arrowhead and two campaign stars)
• Good Conduct Medal and two lapel pins
• Marksman badge with rifle tab
• PUC ribbon
• Tie bar
• 8 period snapshots during Occupation
• 2nd Bn HQ Mess Pass
• ID Discharge Certificate
• 508 PIR HQ 2nd Bn Class B Pass
• Soldier Pay Book
• Capture Document for a German 9mm pistol (Serial # 8478)
A few months ago, I made a post about a recently acquired M42 Jump Jacket that was reinforced and CC2 impregnated. Initially, I made the assumption that it was a Normandy/D-Day jacket, but when I was able to ID the vet, my hypothesis was wrong. The jacket belonged to a 504th PIR vet.
The 504th fought hard in Italy, but were unable to make the Normandy jump because once they arrived in England to prepare for Operation Overlord, it was determined that there were not enough men in the regiment to make the jump. A little known fact is that 504th used their reinforced M42 jump suits during the Holland jump (Operation Market Garden). So, although this jacket wasn’t used in Normandy, it was likely used on the Holland jump.
I wrote to NARA and requested service information for the paratrooper who wore this reinforced jump jacket. Here are my findings:
Since this veteran was never wounded, it is likely he made the Sicily, Salerno, and Holland jumps. I checked Pay’s book Thunder From Heaven to see if he made the Varsity jump when he was with the 507th, but he was not listed. His participation in six campaigns gave him enough points to go home after Germany surrendered. He must have been transferred to the 507th just before being sent home.
This uniform was worn by the Battalion Surgeon for the 466th PFA (17th Airborne). He jumped near Wesel, Germany on March 24, 1945 during Operation Varsity and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his actions on this day. When the 17th Airborne disbanded, he went to the 463rd PFA (101st Airborne), then the 456th PFA (82nd Airborne). This veteran is credited with creating an irrigation device for eye wounds that is still used by medical personnel in the field today.
The group includes:
As a follow up to my research on the recently acquired reinforced M42 jump jacket, a fellow WWII Airborne collector was kind enough to run the partial Army Serial Number (H-0608) through his database of 43,000 WWII 82nd Airborne personnel and locate a perfect match!
The paratrooper was an enlisted man attached to Regimental HQ&HQ Company of the 504th PIR. It is very common for uniforms to trade owners, which explains the removed officer insignia on this jacket.
Ironically, I had the opportunity to handle a documented reinforced jump jacket at the Kansas City militaria show in May, 2007 worn by T4 Clarence W. Harper HQ&HQ/HQ 2nd Battalion 504th PIR. The jacket reinforcements were identical in construction to my modified jacket. In fact, this trooper may have even known T4 Clarence Harper, being they were both HQ of the 504th!
The 504th PIR did a lot of heavy fighting in Italy and returned to England on 04-22-1944. However, their rosters were depleted, so the 504th was not ordered to stand down and not participate in the Normandy jump. A handful of 504th personnel volunteered as Pathfinders and made the Normandy jump. However, this paratrooper was not one of them.
Since the 504th did not jump in Normandy, they were able to hold onto their reinforced M42 jump suits and subsequently used them on the Holland jump. They were the only entire regiment to wear reinforced M42’s in the Netherlands and on the Holland jump. By then, the other regiments were issued and wearing M43 field jackets and trousers. So, although the veteran did not wear this jacket on D-Day, it was more than likely worn on the Holland jump.
