Original Items: Only One Lot of 3 Available. This is a wonderful trio of painted leather squadron patches that would have been present on the front left of a flight jacket during WWII. The patches, which were often “in house” made emblems, would help to differentiate the various crewmembers and their ground crews for specific aircraft and units. All 3 patches are in wonderful condition and are still easily recognizable.

The patches in this lot are as follows:

- 69th Fighter Squadron: This “Werewolves” patch is in wonderful condition but does have minor material loss and fading. The cartoon werewolf is a visual portrayal of the Squadron’s motto. The wolf is symbolic of the individual forces of the unit’s aircraft and the wolf-pack spirit that Squadron personnel personify in fulfilling the functions of military preparedness.

The squadron was activated in 1941 as a single-engine fighter operational and replacement training unit, initially assigned to III Fighter Command. It was reassigned to I Fighter Command in 1942. It used Bell P-39 Airacobras and Curtiss P-40 Warhawks for training. Converted to an operational squadron, 1943, re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts.

Deployed to the South West Pacific Area in 1943 and assigned to Thirteenth Air Force. Began combat operations in February 1944, providing protection for U.S. bases and escorting transports initially, then escorting bombers over New Guinea and sea convoys to Admiralty Islands. From Noemfoor, bombed and strafed Japanese airfields and installations on Ceram, Halmahera, and the Kai Islands.

Moved to the Philippines in November, flew fighter sweeps against enemy airfields, supported U.S. ground forces, and protected sea convoys and transport routes. Beginning in July 1945, attacked railways, airfields, and enemy installations in Korea and Kyushu, Japan from Okinawa.

After V-J Day, flew reconnaissance missions over Japan. Moved without personnel or equipment to the Philippines in December and demobilized, aircraft sent to depots in the Philippines, inactivated in January 1946.

- Unidentified Communications/Observation Squadron Patch: This is an interesting one. It came to us with a label stating that this insignia is for the 3rd Observation Squadron, though after comparing with other examples, it is our belief that this is not for the unit. We think that it is for a communications squadron due to the lightning bolts and the headset that the eagle is wearing, identifiable points on other comms squadron patches. This is a prime candidate for research!

- 91st Observation Squadron Patch: The patch is in wonderful condition with all colors and artwork still easily distinguishable. The patch features a mounted knight chasing a devil depicted on diamond divided with a blue top and green bottom.

U.S. civilian and military leaders were concerned with NSDAP Germany's preoccupation with South and Central America. In order to prepare for possible hostilities in its own backyard, the military planners needed accurate charts and maps of all of these regions. Millions of square miles were virtually unexplored and uncharted. The 91st was given the tremendous task of getting this job done through aerial photography.

Elements of the 91st Photographic Mapping Squadron were deployed to the Antilles Air Command in April 1943 until June 1945. Flight "B" of the 91st flew throughout South and Central America and the Caribbean. Staging from Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico, aircraft and crews were deployed throughout the area.

Aircraft of Flight "B" saw extensive flight activity over and around such places as Talara, Peru (between 1943 and 1944), Atkinson Field, British Guiana (1944–1945), Recife, Brazil (1944–1945), Howard Field and Albrook Field, Canal Zone (1944–1945) and Natal, Brazil (1945). These operations, mainly aerial mapping, also included intelligence work, providing the United States with a storehouse of cartographic data on these regions that is still in use today.

The 91st was formally attached to the 311th Photographic Wing (later known as the 311th Reconnaissance Wing), and Flight "B" was available to the Sixth Air Force's commander for other duties. The unit flew a variety of North American F-10 "Mitchells" (the photo recon variant of the B-25D) as well as several Boeing F-9s (photo version of the B-17).

Flight "B" was seemingly "everywhere" in the Caribbean region during the war. After the war ended, the squadron was based at MacDill Field, Florida, and later with the 24th Composite Wing at Howard Field, Panama, carrying out photo-mapping and charting missions in Central and South America. The squadron was assigned to the new Strategic Air Command in 1949 and moved to McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey where it engaged in long-distance photo mapping as part of SAC's global strategic reconnaissance mission.

A lovely assortment of patches ready for further research and display.