Disney Squadron Patches 1: AAF

[Zemke Fan]

I am pleased to announce that I have just acquired a major WWII hand-painted leather squadron patch collection. All of the images are designed by Disney and 28 are listed in the 1992 book "Disney Dons Dogtags." There are 70 patches in total and all are in mint unused condition. They are not just AAF, but include many other branches of service.

NOTE: The copyright information was added by me to protect my rights in the images.

In the next few days I will be posting images here for all to enjoy. Here are the first four:

449th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group

51st Service Squadron, 310th Service Group

Unknown Squadron

Unknown Squadron

 

[cheaterome]

patches

WOW. Thanks for sharing.

Very cool and RARE. The Disney book leaves a lot of patches out ,especially in Theater patches worn .

What a cool job that would have been.

Thanks,
Jerome

 

[Zemke Fan]

Let me clarify a few things:

1. These are -- as far as my research has taken me to date -- original WWII era patches. In fact, the collection came with two pen and ink drawings that appear to be the original prototypes, so I think these may have been the personal collection of one of the original Disney artists.
   .
2. I will be working over the next few weeks to establish provenance and to make contact with the Disney Archivists.
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3. I am the copyright owner of THESE SCANS, although the "characters" are Disney's copyright and the patch designs themselves are in the public domain since Disney granted "exclusive and perpetual" license to the United States during the war.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Disney apparently produced 1,200 - 1,500 patches...

The Disney book leaves a lot of patches out ,especially in Theater patches worn .

For all branches of the military and even foreign outfits, including the original Eagle Squadron patch for the RAF. When you see the breadth of this effort -- as acutally executed and not just sketches -- ya'll will be as blown away as I am.

 

[Spitfire]

Wow - great stuff.
When you talk about the "original eagle squadron patch". Is that the unofficial "boxing eagle" of 4th FG you are refering to?
(Which, as far as I know, only were a patch in one of the squadrons. 336???)

Got a little confused here, because there were 3 Eagle Squadrons in RAF, right? And after they transfered to USAAF they were not called Eagle Squadrons, I guesse. Can you please clearify this to me:eusa_doh:

 

[Zemke Fan]

Yes, I should have said...

Eagle Squadrons. As I understand it -- and I will scan the patch tonight -- the Disney patch was for ALL of the three Eagle Squadrons. The 334th Fighter Squadron (4th Fighter Group) eventually got the rights to use the "boxing eagle" that was part of Disney's original design.

EDIT:

Here's the Eagle Squadrons Patch (and, BTW, it isn't one of my favorites from this collection):

 

[Spitfire]

I had this lying around on my computer. As you see, there is also a sketch of "the official" Eagle Sq. badge. Was that also made by someone at Disneys?
Because that was the only Eagle Squadron badge known in RAF. The boxing eagle - to my knowledge at least - came later. After they transferred to USAAF.

 

[cheaterome]

4th Fighter group

I know the ones of which you speak . I did these for a customer in Japan.

One was from the 4th Fg website and the other was my interpretation of the disney art.

The customer chose the natural leather to sew onto the jacket

Disney had some really cool stuff.

Jerome

 

[Zemke Fan]

Next Four...

Purported to be 349th Bomb Squadron (Disney Dons Dogtags)

831st Bomb Squadron, 485th Bomb Group, 15th AAF

60th Air Depot Group

Jackson Air Base

Any help in identification would be appreciated.

 

[SGB]

Anything on the back of the patches?

SGB

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Unknown.

Therefore maybe unused? Could have been a design that was not approved or a design submitted too late for approval?

 

[Zemke Fan]

Backs...

Two of them have the following hallmark ("E Plurubus Unum?):

(This is the back of the bomb-throwing pitcher.)

There are random spots of paint and some evidence that many of the patches were mounted in an albumn.

 

[SGB]

I meant is there anything on the back of all the patches?

SGB

 

[Zemke Fan]

Unkown to ME, Major Nick...

Therefore maybe unused? Could have been a design that was not approved or a design submitted too late for approval?

I just need to do more research... I'm contemplating a trip out to Burbank to meet with the Disney Archivist. I think that they have paperwork from all of these. What I have been able to surmise is that not all of the units fell in love with the "cute" Disney ideas. Some seem to have adopted completely different insignia either "officially" or "unofficially."

 

[Zemke Fan]

As I said, only on TWO of the 70...

I meant is there anything on the back of all the patches? SGB

Nothing that would help me further with identification. Oh, and one Army patch has the unit number and the date Oct. 1942. That's the only other thing.

 

[SGB]

The Palm Springs Air Museum has a bunch of original Disney patch art on display. They are the original drawings by Disney artists, great stuff. If I recall correctly it is all from one person's collection.

SGB

 

[Speedster]

WOW. Amazing stuff.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Just noticed that the patches appear to be cut by hand, furthering the theory that they are original prototypes of patches that were later produced commercially.

 

[cheaterome]

Mouse on my plane

The patch with the mouse on the plane wearing the bandleader costume and chucking the bombs off the glassnosed b-24.

It is the insignia from the 15th Air force,485th bomb group, 831st bomb squadron.

Wow, that original Eagle squadron patch leaves much to be desired.

Jerome

 

[Zemke Fan]

Thanks for the "ID", Jerome!

I have had some trouble tracking some of these down...

Wow, that original Eagle squadron patch leaves much to be desired.
Jerome

Really does, doesn't it? This one puzzles me a little bit. The quality of most of these is first-rate. This one and half a dozen others appear to have been done by *interns* or the Scorcerer's Apprentice!