Why The Snaps?

[t_player]

Do you see many patches that have snaps on the back for fastening.This one was sewn on but after taking it off I noticed it had snaps also.

[t_player]

pic2

[kastauffer]

Bullion Patches would get trashed when the uniforms would be cleaned ( especially in the tropics where they have to be cleaned all the time! ) . They added snaps to be able to remove the patch before cleaning the uniform.


Kurt

[GLM]

Bullion Patches would get trashed when the uniforms would be cleaned ( especially in the tropics where they have to be cleaned all the time! ) . They added snaps to be able to remove the patch before cleaning the uniform.


Kurt

One from my wife's uncle. He made more than a few flights over "the Hump."

Anyone know if this was a CBI practice only or was it also done in the ETO?

Gary

[GLM]

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[Brian Dentino]

Gary, although I am only speculating on this, wouldn't one think that with personell moving around a lot during the war that this practice would be found in all theaters? Especially an AAF guy. You would think that there were many of these little practices that were helpful that found there way around the theaters during wartime.

And remember, bullion patches were almost exclusively for the dress uniforms of the day so I am sure that they were private purchase items therefore guys looked after them a little more carefully than say......a greenback 101st cotton patch!

Just my thoughts....and believe me, they may be WAY off base

[VerKuilen Ager]

Removable patches also existed in non-bullion and were popular in the tropics quite a while before W.W.II., particularly among troops in the Philippines. As already noted, easy removal of all insignia was necessary because the uniforms were washed frequently, often by a good scrubbing in a stream.

[GLM]

Brian & VerKuilen,

After I posted, I remembered my friend's dad's mid 1930's khaki four-pocket uniform with the Taro Leaf patch from the Hawaiian (24th) Division identical to the one Verkuilen shows. Nice patch, BTW!

I've been racking my brain trying to remember if I've ever seen snaps on bullion or felt patches from the ETO and to tell the truth, can't say with certainty that I have? Just wondering if the ETO guys protected their patches like the guys in the tropics.

Gary

Removable patches also existed in non-bullion and were popular in the tropics quite a while before W.W.II., particularly among troops in the Philippines. As already noted, easy removal of all insignia was necessary because the uniforms were washed frequently, often by a good scrubbing in a stream.