leather P-47 unit ID help needed

[SIGGY]

Hello members, I recently was at a shop and saw a nice old leather patch there, I can describe it here and hope that someone of the forum can help me ID it, I'm sure it was a P-47 emblem.
Here goes, a light gray-blue P-47 in a diving 3/4 view over a large whit cloud and just below the nose area of the P-47 the title "THUNDERJUGS" and the cloud/P-47 is on a large black/dark brown upside down Hillbilly type booze jug with 2 handles and the overall design is bordered yellow in the shape of the booze jug.

If anyone knows what Group/Sqd this was used by PLEEEEEEEEEEEEZE contact me at my e mail, thank you very much !!!!!!!!
Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com

 

[SIGGY]

please excuse second posting

oops ,Please excuse double posting

 

[RLM]

Hey Sig, I did a little searching and besides finding your question on a couple of other web sites , I found a post here that may point you in the right direction. 8 posts down the page, a guy mentions his father Bob North flew p-47s. Look for that post.

http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?p=*&c=_incGuestbookList.cfm&pStartRow=450

In case the link doesn't work, a guy posted that his father flew P-47s in the 14th AF, 81st FG, 93rd FS in WWII and their squadron's nickname was the Thunderjugs. I did find that there was indeed such an outfit, but could find no further info on the "Thunderjugs". The 81st FG moved from the 12th AF in the MTO to India and then China in 1944 as part of the 14th AF, and were assigned P-40s and P-47s while in India.

 

[rmrdaddy]

The only thing I came up with was that "thunderjug" was a fairly common nickname for that particular plane amongst the group(s) that worked with them.

 

[BellyTank]

Could it be an unofficial design for the 93rd FS?


B
T

 

[RLM]

Siggy, you got my curiosity up, so I've done a little more digging. The 14thAF, 81st FG, 93rd FS insignia was an eagle holding a club w/a spike through the tip of it. So, it wasn't that squadron. Sorry. I found that on www.cbi-history.com. There's a LOT if info there with groups, squadrons, etc and the planes they flew along with pics of insignia for most of them. Could be a valuable resource for you if you don't already know about it.

 

[SIGGY]

Thanks RLM !!!

Hello ,Thank you RLM for your info search about the Thunderjugs design, even though you found the other design for the unit, the "Thunderjugs" could have been an "Unofficial" design as mentioned by the other forum member.
I have found out over the 25+ years of emblem research that a lot of times the units started out with an U.O.emblem and later converted to an "Officially" approved design.
I'm not saying that this is carved in stone rules,but I have confirmed quite a few instances of this, I will contact the guy on the P-47 site and see if he has any other details,again thanks for pointing out his posting !!!!!!
Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com

 

[RLM]

Hello ,Thank you RLM ... Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com[/QUOTE

Glad to be of some assistance. Hope you're able to contact the guy about his dad's unit. Let us know what comes of it. I wish there were a book that outlined all the groups and squadrons, when and where they served, and had photos of all the known insignia designs. That would be an invaluable book for any WWII air war enthusiast.

 

[SIGGY]

book/s about emblem etc

There are actually some books on the AAF emblems/history/where-when,they are authored by Robert Watkins and published by Schiffer Publishing and titled " Battlecolors ",I helped him with some of the emblems in a couple of the Volumes and there are 4 volumes out so far and #5 is in the works .

Schiffer is a GREAT book company and I'm sure if you Google them they have a web page to get the books from, you WILL be glad you did as they all have FULL COLOR emblems shown along with each group and it's squadrons emblems histories etc !

 

[SIGGY]

emblem history books

A little additional info, I'm not sure where I saw it but the Mauer& Mauer "Official" USAAF/USAF insignia design/lineage books on the Squadrons/groups are both online and can be downloaded, very sorry I didn;t think to copy the site addy (Duuuuuuuuh) but I'm sure you PC wiz's can find them, they are REALLY worth the look up !
They have the emblem/colors explained and the when-where etc's of bases-C.O.'s etc etc .
One of the books is titled Combat squadrons of The Air Force WW two.

 

[SIGGY]

Download site found !!!

A little additional info, I'm not sure where I saw it but the Mauer& Mauer "Official" USAAF/USAF insignia design/lineage books on the Squadrons/groups are both online and can be downloaded, very sorry I didn;t think to copy the site addy (Duuuuuuuuh) but I'm sure you PC wiz's can find them, they are REALLY worth the look up !
They have the emblem/colors explained and the when-where etc's of bases-C.O.'s etc etc .
One of the books is titled Combat squadrons of The Air Force WW two.

I have found the site where these books and other good ones can be downloaded,check them out, it is
airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/publications
make sure to scroll down through the selection ,they're in alphabetical order,
Enjoy !!!!!!!

 

[crash-ash]

Hello
Are you still interested in the history of the P-47 Thunderjugs emblem?
I believe my father flew with that squadron in WWII. I can put you in touch with him if you want.
Steve
steve@sitkabay.com

 

[SIGGY]

Hello Steve, I recently found the image for the "Thunderjugs" emblem and it is the 93rd Fighter squadron emblem, an "Unofficial" one but was ID'd as this units design .
Johnny
Thank you for your efforts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!