My Cool Old Stuff

49th AA Brigade

1944 (Unofficial)

Manhattan Project

1945 (Unofficial

Ledo Road

1943 (Unofficial)

Strategic Air Forces Europe

1944.

Mediterranean Air Forces

1944

Alaska Defense Command

1943 (Unapproved)

Aleutain Islands Forces

1943 (Unofficial)

Tank Destroyer Forces

1942

London Base Command

1944

.Southeast Asia Command Second Version 1944

Guam

1944

Hawaiian Coastal Defense Forces  1942 (Unofficial)

Desert Air Force

1941(Unofficial)

Merrill's Marauders - 5307th Composite Regiment

1943(Unofficial)

Army Sir Forces 

Second Design 1942

Theater Sewn Gold and Silver Bullion

Chinese Training and Combat Command

Army Chemical Warfare Major wearing a 40th Infantry Division shoulder patch.

First Special Service Forces

1942

Kiska Task Force

1943 (Unofficial)

China Burma India patch.  Theater sewn with silver bullion thread.

Army Air Forces

First Design1937

US Army WWII Shoulder Insignia

Shoulder Insignia or "patches" have been used to identify units.  The heraldry of organized unit insignia dates to 1919 when the War Department was given the authority to approve coats of arms.  There are hundreds of different unit patches.  Some are quite familiar and other more obscure. My collection focuses  on World War II era insignia.  I have chosen some of the less common or more visually interesting to share.  Patches noted as "Unofficial were not approved by the War Department.  Thanks to anglefire.com for great information.