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444th Bomb Squadron

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
just a couple of tags I think, he inquired about this patch but said he'd have to wait. Just as well, I'm pretty busy with a lot of things right now. Not sure if he's here or not.
 

shedonwanna

Active Member
a2jacketpatches said:
just a couple of tags I think, he inquired about this patch but said he'd have to wait. Just as well, I'm pretty busy with a lot of things right now. Not sure if he's here or not.

He asked about some other patches but he only purchased this one. I think only because I have been doing the 320th patches for several years. I also do a lot of 388th Bomb Group patches. My dad was a navigator with the 388th and I still attend the reunions.
 

EMBLEMHUNTER

Well-Known Member
Very nicely done , I also have been busy with leather unit patch work , always enjoy seeing others work , again great job on the patch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Squadron had a couple of "variation" of the Rabbit design I guess you know of ?
 

shedonwanna

Active Member
EMBLEMHUNTER said:
Very nicely done , I also have been busy with leather unit patch work , always enjoy seeing others work , again great job on the patch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Squadron had a couple of "variation" of the Rabbit design I guess you know of ?

This is the only design I have seen painted on a patch. The 320th historian showed me a vintage patch and a period photo of the patch on an A-2. The other patch you mentioned is described on the 320th site. It was designed early and few were probably made. The 320th site has images of vintage group and squadron patches with descriptions of their time frame/location/manufacture. I've provided a link to the page for reference. I love it when we get such well documented artwork to use as reference.

Vintage 320th Patches Web Site

Description from 320th site:
"A Walt Disney style Thumper rabbit in foot-stomping pose was the original 444th Squadron emblem. Later the Squadron changed the design by having the rabbit riding on a shark mouth painted bomb, wearing long johns, helmet, goggles and scarf and holding a blunderbuss.

The 444th Squadron adopted the famous shark-mouth insignia while stationed at Tafaraoui early in 1943. This marking continued with the squadron through V-E day."
 

EMBLEMHUNTER

Well-Known Member
The other image I have and it's of an actual Leather patch is of a rabbit looking upward (Thumper) one foot kicked out to the right with an small bomb going off edge of rounded background , have you seen this one !
Johnny
 

shedonwanna

Active Member
EMBLEMHUNTER said:
The other image I have and it's of an actual Leather patch is of a rabbit looking upward (Thumper) one foot kicked out to the right with an small bomb going off edge of rounded background , have you seen this one !
Johnny

Have not seen this one. It's probably more rare than the rabbit riding bomb. The 320th Web site would surely like to see the version you have.
 

EMBLEMHUNTER

Well-Known Member
Mailed out the 444th Bomb Sqd images I mentioned to you , should have them soon, one is a note about it from a good friend of mine who does books on WW2 emblems .the other two are from two different books on emblems as well .
Johnny
 

shedonwanna

Active Member
EMBLEMHUNTER said:
Mailed out the 444th Bomb Sqd images I mentioned to you , should have them soon, one is a note about it from a good friend of mine who does books on WW2 emblems .the other two are from two different books on emblems as well .
Johnny

Thanks Johnny.
 

shedonwanna

Active Member
Here is the artwork from Johnny - thanks. The second image is a 320th BG B-26 "Thumper II". Not the 444th emblem but it is in color.



 

EMBLEMHUNTER

Well-Known Member
The posted 444th Bomb Squadron emblems has some variations as to the color of the bomb, some were yellow others red , not sure of why , maybe just the artists rendering at the time ..................

I have a color note reference for the 444th emblem if anyone wants a patch made of it ...............
 
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