Show us your Militaria

[V.C. Brunswick]

Great find! Looks like an early war service uniform to an unnamed Coastal Artillery T/3. The SSI is that of the Western Defense Command which was in charge of the defenses on the West Coast. This individual may have been stationed someplace like Fort MacArthur, a coastal gun battery in San Pedro, California and it looks like he spent most of the war Stateside as he only has an Army Good Conduct Medal and an American Campaign Medal.

 

[mikepara]

Honestly if people are going to find a historical military picture offensive for whatever reason, than I could go as for as to say your picture of what I assume is a British soldier offends the Irish and Welsh in me due to the way the English have treated them throughout history.

Okay, so if I post the famous historical military picture of the poor Jewish / Roma / Homosexual/ I'm not sure which he was, guy staring at the cameraman at the edge of a pit full of bodies as he awaits his bullet from the Nazi 'Soldier' no one would be offended? Yeah!

Re: my avatar, I'm an Irishman. I wouldn't normally wish to offend anyone, especially as in 6 years of posting on here you're the only person to ever mention it, but in your case I'm prepared to make an exception.

 

[DNO]

DNO, you scored big time with that RCAF set!

Thanks 1930artdeco. I was lucky...I only had one other person bidding against me. I had to concede some items to him...the blue RCAF tunic and pants and some flashes...but I did get the best stuff (in my opinion, at least!). I actually stopped actively collecting militaria 25 years ago when my son was born but I still pick up the odd item if it is interesting enough (and affordable). The notes and instructional handouts from his gunnery and radio courses are quite interesting.

It must have been quite an experience for a young man from the small town of Bobcaygeon Ontario to be flying by the Himalayas and dropping cargo into the jungles of Burma.

 

[Giftmacher]

Todays find-Soviet WWII medal(s) for bravery.

 

[Giftmacher]

After cleanup

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

After cleanup

The Medal of Courage was created October 17, 1938 and "was awarded for personal courage and valour displayed in defending the socialist fatherland during the performance of military duties, for "acts of bravery during a battle, during the defence of the state borders or during military duties associated with risk to life."

 

[Giftmacher]

Thanks! I'll keep you informed about searching for the owner.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

OG-507 dated 1987 named to an Air Force Sergeant; "Prime Beef" Air Force Civil Engineering patch; Alaskan Air Command patch; Air Force Firefighter patch. Individual later retired as a Captain in the Air Force Reserve and was a Clark County, Nevada firefighter.

 

[Giftmacher]

Karl-Truppenkreuz 1916 found today.

 

[jamespowers]

Karl-Truppenkreuz 1916 found today.

Metal detecting looks really interesting in your area.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Weekend Militaria Show Find:
DCU named to a Navy Hospital Corpsman (FMF) 1st Class

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Some more finds from the militaria show.

 

[Cocker]

Korean era OD BAR Belt, those are getting pretty rare to come accross:

 

[hatguy1]

Any idea what the gold wreath and the radio tower on the right sleeve of the Ike Jacket signify? Given the Aircrew Member wings and other USAAF insignia, patches and whatnot, I'm assuming the individual was a radio operator on a bomber? Which perhaps might explain the radio tower insignia, but what's the gold wreath?

 

[Heater]

Here's one of my favorite pieces, a Colt M1911 Transition model salvaged from the USS Shaw after the
attack on Pearl Harbor.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Any idea what the gold wreath and the radio tower on the right sleeve of the Ike Jacket signify? Given the Aircrew Member wings and other USAAF insignia, patches and whatnot, I'm assuming the individual was a radio operator on a bomber? Which perhaps might explain the radio tower insignia, but what's the gold wreath?

The "toilet seat" is the Distinguished Unit Badge awarded to all members of a unit which received a Distinguished Unit Citation and the triangular patch is an Army Air Force Specialist Badge of which this one is a Communications Specialist. The other specialist badges were Engineering, Armament, Photographer and Weather. In retrospect I have reason to believe that the uniform was put together because the CBI combat patch is loosely and crudely sewn on and someone of the Technician rank (equivalent to today's Army Specialist rank) would not have been aircrew. I've been debating whether or not to remove the CBI patch, aircrew wings and ribbon bar. As those three appear to have been added on.

 

[hatguy1]

The "toilet seat" is the Distinguished Unit Badge awarded to all members of a unit which received a Distinguished Unit Citation and the triangular patch is an Army Air Force Specialist Badge of which this one is a Communications Specialist. The other specialist badges were Engineering, Armament, Photographer and Weather.

Good info. Thanks for the answers. Interestingly enough, I was watching the movie "Ike" (starring Tom Selleck) last night and the 2-star general Ike has to fire and send home for getting drunk and shooting his mouth off about the upcoming invasion had one of those "toilet seats" on the right sleeve of his blouse. Made me all the more curious and voila! today I see your answer.

Thanks so much for the great info, V.C.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I'd like to add that most likely our man was either a radio mechanic or a ground radio operator assigned to a group's operations section or command post listening for reports from the aircrew out on a mission.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Went to the militaria show today and picked up the Tenth Air Force (CBI) patch.

 

[Captain Nemo]

The "toilet seat" is the Distinguished Unit Badge awarded to all members of a unit which received a Distinguished Unit Citation and the triangular patch is an Army Air Force Specialist Badge of which this one is a Communications Specialist. The other specialist badges were Engineering, Armament, Photographer and Weather. In retrospect I have reason to believe that the uniform was put together because the CBI combat patch is loosely and crudely sewn on and someone of the Technician rank (equivalent to today's Army Specialist rank) would not have been aircrew. I've been debating whether or not to remove the CBI patch, aircrew wings and ribbon bar. As those three appear to have been added on.

Sir,
One minor correction. The laurel wreath is the Meritorious Unit Citation, not the Distinguished. The Distinguished Unit Citation, which later was renamed the Presidential Unit Citation, has always been a blue ribbon surrounded by a gold border.

Here's a link to the Army's Institute of Heraldry describing the MUC:
http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=15478&CategoryId=9147&grp=4&menu=Decorations and Medals&ps=24&p=0

Respectfully,
Nemo