Good folks, I turn to you yet again for help:
The first photo is of 2nd. Lt. Kenneth A. Skinner of the USAAF 20th. Fighter Group, 79th. Fighter Squadron. It was sent to me by his grandson who is wondering if anyone has a clue about what unit the patch on his sleeve is from. I don’t have any idea except maybe early 8th. Air Force?
The second photo is of Capt. Melbourne Ingebrigtsen, also of the 79th. Fighter Squadron, his crew and their girl “Miss (u) Louise“. I am wondering if anyone knows what purpose the hole in the side of the fuselage served?
Thanks in advance for your help!
By: Locobuster - 22nd September 2004 at 08:32
According to Skinner’s grandson the original photo is matted and has the name of a studio in London in the corner, so you may very well be right, Dan. He doesn’t remember ever seeing a color version, however. Not that it matters yours is a plausible explaination none the less.
I experienced the same thing with photos of my father that were colorized and his ribbons ended up being the wrong colors. I remember he was really upset about it, LOL!
By: Dan Johnson - 21st September 2004 at 20:18
The more I look at it, the more I’m convinced it was originally one of those 40’s colorized photos like the one I am including of a B24 pilot. You can see where they were messing with the patch on his shoulder and it looks like someone didn’t do the best job coloring that 8th AF patch on the one you posted that is now black and white.
Dan
By: Locobuster - 21st September 2004 at 20:10
Thank you gentlemen, am I imagining things or do the colors seem reversed? I was thinking maybe it was a bullion patch and the light was causing it to look this way.
By: station357 - 21st September 2004 at 19:41
Hi Locobuster,
Have a look at this link to a website on American military patches by Dr. Howard G. Lanham.
www.angelfire.com/md2/patches/variations/var4af8.html
It looks like the picture in the centre showing an 8th air force patch of the blunt wing type, machine embroidered, U.S. made.
Regards,
Paul
By: Dan Johnson - 21st September 2004 at 06:27
The hole was for the flare pistol. On some 51s it’s covered over.
The Patch looks like some sort of 8th AF patch. I wonder if that was originally one of those colorized photos and someone got to messing with the patch a bit.
Dan
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September 21, 2004 at 6:04 am