GREETINGS from The FLYING TIGER Antiques & Vintage Historical Artifacts!!!
As of today, Thursday, 23 March, Kanae is IN THE OFFICE,
I will be joining her shortly, by Monday 27 March.
What does that mean? Well, there MAY be a delay in shipping,
especially of Military Artifacts, and some Police & Fire Badges
As many of those pieces on the site were with me on the trip to Louisville & Baltimore!
So, hang tight for a few more days, as there may be a delay until 3/27 to get your order shipped if the ordered artifact is with me on the road!!
Meanwhile, Kanae will be LISTING NEW ARTIFACTS DAILY,
And shipping what she can, through the foreseeable future!
Thank you for visiting. We hope you will find some vintage artifacts here to add to your collection!!
If funding your order from a Bank that offers ZELLE, ASK ABOUT OUR ZELLE DISCOUNT! Also applies to check and money order payments!
Happy Collecting, Ron & Kanae
ARTIFACT:
This is an EXTREMELY RARE Jacket Patch for the United States Army Air Forces 493rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 48th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force. The patch is either French, or Belgian, made, and shows a skull at the center with lightning bolts penetrating its eye sockets. It reads MORS INIMICIS (Death to the enemy).
The Squadron flew Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, starting off their combat history briefly in England, assisting the Normandy invasion by dropping bombs on bridges and gun positions, attacking rail lines and trains, and providing visual reconnaissance reports. Later in June, the squadron began leap-frogging through French airfields, then one Belgian airfield, before landing in Germany in early 1945, making their way through 3 airfields in that country, mostly supporting the First Army, before V-E Day.
This unofficial, but worn and cherished, patch is seldom encountered, and is only the only one we've had in over 20 years of business. A wonderful, hard to get, and highly sought after addition to any WWII USAAF Flight Jacket Patch, and particularly Fighter Squadron Patch, collection.
VINTAGE:
Circa 1944 World War II.
SIZE:
About 5-1/8" in diameter.
MATERIALS / CONSTRUCTION:
Chenille embroidery on silk/rayon background cloth.
ATTACHMENT:
To be sewn onto Flight Clothing.
MARKINGS:
None.
ITEM NOTES:
This is from a United States Army Air Forces Squadron Patch collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. MCJJV06 LABJJX02/08 SABJJX3/08
CONDITION:
7 (Very Fine): Minor wear and soiling.
GUARANTEE: As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.
