I'm trying to determine if this insignia was used in any
capacity whatsoever. If anyone has a period photo or
printed piece depicting this image in use as signage,
uniform component, et al., I would appreciate hearing
from you.

Bob

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Excellent question, Bob, I've been long curious myself. Wondered the same about the "M.A.A.F" patch.

If I may piggyback another query onto yours: Is there an equivalent insignia for the Coastal Air Force?




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Grandson of 1st Lt. Bernell A. "Barney" Forster (1921-2007)
347th Fighter Squadron/350th Fighter Group

Good call Tom, this is another one that I've been curious about.

Hopefully we'll get some answers about both of these insignia.

Bob

It appears that the American units participating in the Desert Airforce were the 12th BG and 57th FG. So I checked those units in Chartwell’s Air Force Units of WWII. While the text mentions the desert campaign, no separate insignia were noted. So then I went to my copy of WWII Combat Squadrons if the USAF by Maurer and looked up the individual squadrons which comprised the 12th and 57th. Pretty much the same story, no mention of special insignia for the time attached to the DAF.
My guesses would be 1) it was an unofficial "ad hoc" design someone put together to denote the time when the DAF was a joint RAF/USAAF operation; or, 2) it was a British design. Unfortunately I have no reference material on RAF unit insignia.

Aviation Historian Peter Merlin was interviewed in the NY Times recently and he stated that some air units had made up and produced their own unofficial patches.

TonyM.

ORIGINAL: Anthony J. Mireles

Aviation Historian Peter Merlin was interviewed in the NY Times recently and he stated that some air units had made up and produced their own unofficial patches.

TonyM.

 
Tony,  Just wondering what the "official military stance" was?  Having the patches "made" was different than wearing them.  I know that "wartime" conditions sometimes change things.  How is your B-24E project going?  Best Regards!   Steven 

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven,
 
That is a real good point--neither the author nor Merlin addressed the issue of actually wearing the home grown patches.  At least not that I can remember. 
 
The B-24E project will be up and posted on-line soon.  Thanks for asking and thanks for your help. 
 
TonyM.
 
 

U.S. Military Patches of World War II by Christopher P. Brown (2002): page 103 shows both a "standard" type and Italian-made bullion: "Was organized when all allied air assets in the Mediterranean zone were merged.  Aside from the British RAF units, the command controlled the Twelfth and Fifteenth Army Air Forces."

Smith and Pelz Shoulder Sleeve Insignia of the U.S. Aremed Forces 1941-1945 (1981) [which I consider my bible for SSI] give a long explanation on page 169: "established in December 1943...the shoulder patch...formally approved by the QMG...[August/September 1944]...based on a design currently being worn."

"Arguably, the Mustang was the best [single-engine] fighter plane that ever flew...."

Smith and Pelz, p. 173: "Americans wore the insignia...by local authority only...not approved for wear by the War Department."

"Arguably, the Mustang was the best [single-engine] fighter plane that ever flew...."

In Viet Nam unauthorized (but tolerated), 'pocket patches' were
frequently worn to denote a variety of TDY duty assignments
and/or advanced special combat training, etc.

Does anyone happen to know if devices similar to the 'pocket patch'
were employed at anytime/anywhere in WWII.

I'm trying to determine if the DAF or MAAF patches might have been
worn by our guys in a similar manner as part of the uniform component.

Bob

Bob and Tony,      After rereading the posts, I happened to think of a guy here in the area who owns and runs an Army Surplus Store that has a wall of WWII, Korea and Vietnam Patches.  If he doesn't have it, he can find it, so he says.  He is a WW II Vet and loves to sit and talk.  His uniform is encased and on display in the store.  Next time I'm in there, I'll have this Thread in my hip pocket and see what he knows!  Best Regards!  Steven  

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Tony,   Just happened to remember that this gentlemen also had an old box of various books and manuals from WWII.  Hopefully I'll have some time to pick through them also.  Who know what one might find?!  Best Regards!  Steven

Best Regards!
Steven P. Puhl
Willow Run Historian  (RET.)  
Home of 8685 Ford B-24 Liberators
Life Member: Yankee Air Museum

Steven...The MAAF patch was for the Mediterreanean Allied Air Forces,,,the CO was General Twining who commanded both the MAAF and the 15th AAF, during my tour.....the two main components were the RAF 205 group and the 15th AAF.
I understand the RAF 205 Group HQ was at my base at Tortorella.
 
As I understand it, the Desert AF started out with B-24 Halpro Project (B-24) which was organized to fly to Chinese Bases,, but was stopped in the Near East, as by the time they were deployed, the Japanese had overurn the Chinese Bases.
 
The FIRST B-24 BG to be assigned to Egypt and Palestine was the 98th BG (B-24) as the 376th BG was formed from the former Halpro Project, later on .
 
There was a Detachent commanded  by General Brereton from India, who brought abut 8 to 9 B-17Es with him to Egypt and Palestine to assist in stopping Rommel.  The B-17E's flew as one of the 376th BG squadrons, until the aircraft were worn out..several B-17E's  were returned to the US and General Brereton returned to India, minus the B-17E's, but with most of his personnel.
 
Also, there were four Yugoslavian Air Force B-24s, that also flew with the 376th BG.
 
The B-17Es participated in several of the raids on the German Africon Corps with the other squadrons of the 376th BG.
 
The Lady Be Good that overflew its base and vanished in the Sahara Desert and was not found for some 40 years was a 376th BG B-24.
 
I may not have all of these facts straight , so if I am in error, I expect someone will correct me.
 
The Tuskogee Airmen flew P-40s in ground support and were probably part of the Desert Air Force in that role, until they were assigned as bomber escort for the 15th heavy bombers....B-17 and B-24.
 
Again, I may not have all of these facts straight, but, I hope someone will correct any misconceptions.
 
Jim :-)
 

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

The B-24D # 41-24301 Lady Be Good went missing on 4 April 1943 and was first located from the air in May of 1958.  The wreck was visited and identified soon afterward in 1959.  So the airplane was only missing for about 16 years.  The crew members were recovered in 1960 and 1961.  And the Lady Be Good website indicates that the missing crewmember Sgt. Vernon Moore was found on the desert by British troops in 1949 and buried in an unmarked grave.  Moore's body was not identified as such in 1949, but photos surfaced soon after "Lady's Men" was published in the late 1990s.  It has been speculated that the body found and photographed by British Army units in 1949 was indeed Sgt. Moore. 

Pete

Jim,
 
Only a slight correction - the HALPRO Detachment B-24s and the Brereton Detachment B-17s were formed into the 1st Provisional Group on 20 June 1942.  The B-24s of the 1st Provisional Group were formed into the 376th Bomb Group on 1 November 1942 (31 October depending on the source).  The 376th claims the HALPRO and 1st Provisional missions (including the B-17 missions) in its mission totals, but technically, the B-17s were never part of the 376th Bomb Group.