U.S.Airborne items

[Sparky]

First off, Thanks for getting this forum started up! It has been lonely trying to find information on the other items that I collect. I am pretty much strictly into WW2 Airborne items now. Is there anyone out there who is knowledgable in this area of collecting? I guess my first question is,do all the WW2 vintage Pathfinder cloth wings have the blue flame in the center coming out of the torch? Are there any with a white flame in the center? Thanks.

[Mark S.]

Sorry I cant specifically answer your question, but somewhere out there in cyberland is a website with a very detailed analysis of airborne patches, mostly screaming eagles, but there might be other stuff there too. I for one never realized there were so many variations of that patch!

This site ring a bell to anyone?

I might have the link to it somewhere....Ill have to look around.

[Rick Research]

Keep on posting U.S. topics in this Forum until there is a separate U.S. Forum.

[VerKuilen Ager]

You should generally expect a W.W.II era piece to have the blue center. However, many of these were hand-embroidered in England and elsewhere and there is the possibility of an error. Sometimes these were quite pastel blue and over the years have faded to near white. A careful probe of the threads (I recommend using the dull "eye" end of a needle)to a shaded area sometimes reveals the original color.

Keep in mind that this insignia was used through Viet Nam (and may still be in use for all I know) and many of the RVN-era pieces were sloppy in their accuracy. Once again, many were theater-made and the ladies making them hadn't a clue what was correct. The piece has also been reproduced extensively, so all kinds of variations have probably been injected into the scene.

I'd recommend a visit to the 'Chute and Dagger site, where you can make contact with all the most knowledgable airborne insignia specialists. 'Chute and Dagger Homepage

[Sparky]

Hello Histaria, Thanks for your reply, I will check out the site you provided. After careful cleaning the flame does seem to be a light blue color, almost silver/blue. It does look to have faded. Thanks!