Airborne Uniform
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)
Posted in Airborne, WWII US Militaria | 4 Comments »
Airborne Uniform
This is a well-documented Airborne uniform, photograph, and paperwork grouping from my personal collection. The veteran (Anthony A. Gutberlet Jr.) had been with H&S Co. 78th Engineer Bn., 27th Division prior to completing paratrooper training at Sendai Jump School (Japan), and being assigned to 127th AEB (Airborne Engineering Battalion), 11th Airborne Division.
This grouping includes the following:
1. Enlisted/NCO Ike jacket in a size 38R and dated June 10, 1944. The lapels have EM “US” and Engineering collar devices with early, flat-faced clutches. The left (combat) sleeve has a 27th Division shoulder sleeve insignia that is decoratively hand stitched to the uniform in a cross-stitch pattern. The right sleeve has an 11th Airborne patch with engineering cap braid beautifully hand stitched around border. There are two overseas stripes on the cuff. The left breast has a sterling marked, pin-back set of jump wings, a three-piece, pin-back ribbon bar with an Army of Occupation ribbon (for Japan), a WWII Victory ribbon, and an Asiatic Pacific Campaign ribbon. Directly above the three-piece ribbon bar is a pin-back Good Conduct ribbon. There are a few tiny moth nips in the jacket, but you have to really look hard in strong light to find them. It displays perfectly.
2. Enlisted overseas cap with engineer braid and a beautiful, Japanese-made heavy bullion airborne cap badge. The red wool backing is excellent with no mothing. The cap is lined in silk with a leather sweatband. There is no size, but I would guess it’s about a 7.
3. Brass roller belt buckle that has been customized by affixing sterling jump wings on the face of the buckle then overlaying officers Engineer collar device on top of the jump wings! Very sharp!
4. Early enamel Engineering DI w/ threaded post
5. Single dog tag (named to the vet)
6. An original jump certificate from the Sendai Jump School; that is hand signed by General Swing. This is a rare document!
7. Three-page hand written lyric sheets for the song, “Blood on the Risers”
8. Hard cover photo album containing 244 photographs of the veteran in the 27th Division and 11th Airborne. There are many photographs of the vet and his buddies in jump boots and signature 11th A/B “swing caps”, doing parachute jumps, etc. Most of the photographs have nice descriptions written under them. There is a wealth of information here. The back cover of the album contains written entries of important dates for the veteran.
9. Twenty-nine loose photographs (some 5×7). Of the 5×7 images, One of the photos is of the vet in a jeep w/ a khaki overseas cap with airborne patch, khaki Class B’s with his pants blouses into his boots. His shirt has a jump oval and wings and his 11th Airborne SSI has engineering cap braid around it. The other image is of the vet in a jeep in HBTs. He is wearing his jump wings around his neck by threading them through dog tag chain!
10. Original certificates for completed courses including infantry training, blueprint reading, etc.
11. On original copy of a general order (HQ 127th A/B Engineer Bn)
12. Two original prints of 6×11 unit photos for 78th Engineer Bn w/ the names of all the vets on the back.
13. Seventeen pieces of paper occupational currency
14. Several paper items (immunization record, temporary passes, motor vehicle permits, ration cards, programs, etc).
All the items have been carefully stored in archival quality sleeves (included). It is difficult to find WWII era uniforms groupings that come with any paperwork. This one has plenty!
Price: SOLD
Posted in Recently Sold Militaria, WWII US Militaria | 1 Comment »
Airborne Uniform
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:
- Officers overseas cap w/ para glider patch and pin-back Captain bars
- Ike jacket with the following attached:
- 17th Airborne patch
- 82nd Airborne patch
- Officer Medical ciphers
- Officer “US” ciphers
- Pin-back Captain bars
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Sterling Pin-back Combat Medic Badge
- Belgium Fourragere (shoulder cord)
- French Fourragere (shoulder cord)
- Three-place sewn on ribbon bar with Bronze Star Medal (For Valor), American Campaign, ETO Campaign w/ 1 Invasion Arrowhead (for Operation Varsity) and 3 Campaign Stars (Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe)
- Red Wool Parachute Oval (for Artillery)
- Pinback “Sterling” marked jump wings with a combat star affixed (for Operation Varsity)
- Three overseas stripes
- Wool trousers w/ name penned in two places (see pics)
- Tan web belt
- Jump Boots w/ vet’s name inked on both tongues (see pic). They are size 10 1/2 D and dated July 26, 1943.
- Original print of veteran posing beside his uniform
- Copies of WWII images of veteran posing with his family
- Copy of Separation Record
- Copy of General Order for Bronze Star Medal
- Copy of the write up for the 466th PFA’s recommendation for the Unit Citation, in which the veteran is mentioned several times
- Copy of General Order for Combat Medic Badge
- Copies of Special/Transfer Orders
- Photocopies of Unit related articles the veteran kept
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Airborne Uniform
This 503rd RCT / 511th PIR uniform was worn by a paratrooper that served from April 7th, 1944 through May 10th, 1946. He participated in the Negros Campaign (Southern Philippines) with the 503rd Regimental Combat Team (attached to the 11th Airborne Division) before being transferred to the 511th PIR, 11th Airborne.
The Ike jacket has a beautiful, hand embroidered, Japanese-made, 503rd RCT patch on his combat sleeve and a pin-back Combat Infantry Badge.
The grouping included his knife, dog tags, some occupation currency, photographs, paperwork, ephemera, and a hand painted silk scarf that is named to the veteran across the neck.
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Airborne Uniform
Here is a WWII uniform from my personal collection. It is not for sale.
This uniform grouping was worn by a PFC in Service Company 401st GIF, 101st Airborne. The vet was a post D-Day replacement and fought in Holland (Operation Market Garden), where he was seriously wounded and spent the next year and a half in hospitals recovering.
His uniform has a three-place ribbon bar an with ETO ribbon w/ two campaign stars, Good Conduct ribbon, and Purple Heart ribbon. The ribbon bar pin is broken and the insignia was sewn to the uniform upside down, causing the ribbons to be in reverse order, but that is how the uniform was received from the vet, so it was left as is.
Included with the group are several V-Mail and regular letters he sent home, a 101st Airborne unit history book and booklet, and recent photos of the vet holding the uniform pieces. His overseas cap has an interesting para/glider patch variant.
Posted in Airborne, WWII US Militaria | 9 Comments »
