48 star shoulder flag - when and where?

Question and opinion regarding Living History / Reenacting.

Moderator: Moderator

48 star shoulder flag - when and where?

Postby Martin MB in UK » Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:23 am

When and where was this flag stiched onto the right shoulder of M43 jackets. Market garden it was a plastic type thing. Was it only on the M41 and M42 jackets. :lol:
Martin Russell
English Lake District,
Near Beela POW Camp
'42 Willys MB 163086
'65 Mustang 2+2 V8
Fat Bob Harley
User avatar
Martin MB in UK
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
 
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 10:36 am
Location: Northern England

Postby Sheltie » Fri Mar 19, 2004 11:40 am

Martin,

Market-Garden only involved US Airborne troops. They mostly wore the armband type of flag brassard and it was worn on the right sleeve of their M43 jacket. Some armbands were cut and stitched to the jacket.

Earlier operations, such as Torch in N. Africa, involved standard infantry wearing the armband brassards on their M-41 jackets.

The 82nd Abn wore mainly the gauze type of flag during the Sicily and Normandy operations. The flags did not start showing up in the 101st until Market-Garden.


Greg
User avatar
Sheltie
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
 
Posts: 399
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 9:30 pm
Location: On the Santa Fe Trail - Kansas

Postby Bill Eldred » Fri Mar 19, 2004 11:42 am

It is commonly called the invasion Flag and started to be appied to the right sleeve around D-Day. Al thought some of the Pathfinders Scouts from the 509th PIB had them on before then.
42 MB123366 USA 2078369 est.
Need a hood number for my Slat.
USAF Foward Air Combat Controller
Lebanon, Libya, Grenada, Panama, DS1
Image
User avatar
Bill Eldred
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
 
Posts: 5948
Joined: Mon Dec 16, 2002 2:48 pm
Location: Jeep Heaven

Postby AZ Jeff » Fri Mar 19, 2004 8:48 pm

The 17th A/B used the large, bordered flag sleeve patch extensively during the Rhine drop ("Operation Varsity") in March of '45. They were also issued the M4 Carbine Bayonet prior to that jump -- one of the rarer items to see in an ETO pic. That would logically imply that maybe they had bayonet lugs on their carbines, however photographs don't bear that out. But that's another story...

I have a grouping from an officer in the 466th PFA, 17th A/B that includes his armband-type flag neatly painted around in O.D.!!! That is what he wore during the Varsity jump and it certainly doesn't fit the "standard"!

Jeff Q.
AZ
AZ Jeff
G-Lieutenant General
G-Lieutenant General
 
Posts: 4729
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 7:05 pm
Location: Patagonia, AZ EIEIO

Postby lindyp38 » Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:06 pm

carbines with lug nuts....

wow....id love to see a pic of that......ww2 vintage that is......

maybe i shoulda left mine on......

:D
MARIO...45MB(COOKIE)
407294,dod 1-16-45,106th Cavalry
05-1966 M-416 TRAILER
MVPA MEMBER 24420
1941 Plymouth sedan
1965 FORD GALAXIE 4DR SEDAN
User avatar
lindyp38
G-Major General
G-Major General
 
Posts: 3024
Joined: Wed Feb 19, 2003 4:52 pm
Location: new york

Postby Jammie A. Romee » Fri Apr 09, 2004 8:16 pm

I have seen some photographs in the 45th ID museum here in OKC that show 179th Regiment troops during "OPERATION HUSKY" wearing the American flag (gauze type ?) on their arms.
Jammie A. Romee
Oklahoma City, Ok
1942 GPW
Jammie A. Romee
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
 
Posts: 1302
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2002 6:31 pm
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma


Return to Living History / Reenacting Knowledge Base

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests