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Any idea what this G-1 patch could be?
- Thread starter rob20uk
- Start date
rob20uk
Well-Known Member
It looks like it will remain a mystery.
If it helps, the squadron patch is clearly from a squadron that has scrolls on the top and bottom. Some squadrons had only the lower scroll as was more traditional.
Since you have a town and a timeframe, you could further narrow the possibilities down. Unfortunately, San Diego has at least three (possibly four) bases from which aircraft flew back then.
NAS Miramar: Tomcats, Agressors, (Hornets maybe?)
NAS North Island: E-2s, S-3s, Helos.
MCAS Camp Pendleton: (Marine Helos)
Less likely, but possibly:
MCAS El Toro: Marine Hornets.
MCAS Yuma: Harriers.
There’s some other cats and dogs out there like the SAR Helo detachment that some bases had as well.
The other thing that might help also is that the scrolls on the patch seem to be squared off. Some scrolled patches actually had the little V cut on the scroll ends like a ribbon. That might narrow it down.
Lastly, entirely personal opinion, but that jacket seems to have had only two patches on it. Marines tended to comply with the uniform regs that said that only those two patches were authorized, the Navy less so.
That doesn’t mean anything except to say that I’d be far more surprised by a Marine jacket with a lot of patches than a Navy jacket.
Also, again personal opinion, helo/prop guys (pilots and AC) tended to wear their G-1s more in the aircraft than jet guys. It was mostly the issue of jet drivers trying to wear them comfortably under their torso harnesses.
So I’d say, on very non-exact average, that the amount of wear and shoulder strap marks that you’d find on a jacket would go (from least to most):
1. Jet pilot.
2. Prop pilot.
3. Helo pilot.
4. Prop Aircrewman.
5. Helo Aircrewman.
If any of that helps.
Since you have a town and a timeframe, you could further narrow the possibilities down. Unfortunately, San Diego has at least three (possibly four) bases from which aircraft flew back then.
NAS Miramar: Tomcats, Agressors, (Hornets maybe?)
NAS North Island: E-2s, S-3s, Helos.
MCAS Camp Pendleton: (Marine Helos)
Less likely, but possibly:
MCAS El Toro: Marine Hornets.
MCAS Yuma: Harriers.
There’s some other cats and dogs out there like the SAR Helo detachment that some bases had as well.
The other thing that might help also is that the scrolls on the patch seem to be squared off. Some scrolled patches actually had the little V cut on the scroll ends like a ribbon. That might narrow it down.
Lastly, entirely personal opinion, but that jacket seems to have had only two patches on it. Marines tended to comply with the uniform regs that said that only those two patches were authorized, the Navy less so.
That doesn’t mean anything except to say that I’d be far more surprised by a Marine jacket with a lot of patches than a Navy jacket.
Also, again personal opinion, helo/prop guys (pilots and AC) tended to wear their G-1s more in the aircraft than jet guys. It was mostly the issue of jet drivers trying to wear them comfortably under their torso harnesses.
So I’d say, on very non-exact average, that the amount of wear and shoulder strap marks that you’d find on a jacket would go (from least to most):
1. Jet pilot.
2. Prop pilot.
3. Helo pilot.
4. Prop Aircrewman.
5. Helo Aircrewman.
If any of that helps.
YoungMedic
Well-Known Member
Could be any number of squadron patches that look like this. Their are many and unless you could really narrow down a time/location or owner it would be impossible to know for certain. However my guess is on a USMC helicopter squadron, just my fairy tale
or here is a cool one
I tend to agree with @YoungMedic about it being a Marine Helo squadron.
But this is a good example of why it “might” not be HMH-361.
You can’t tell from the insignia alone, but the patch looks like this:
You can see the edges of the scroll are V’d. Sometimes the guy who sews the patch on will do a crummy job and just square the corners, but a better one will sew the V to keep the corners from popping up.
So, probably. Probably, it’s a patch like the 531 patch that had square corners.
There’s no rhyme or reason as to why some are V’d, it’s just how it was originally drawn.
But this is a good example of why it “might” not be HMH-361.
You can’t tell from the insignia alone, but the patch looks like this:
You can see the edges of the scroll are V’d. Sometimes the guy who sews the patch on will do a crummy job and just square the corners, but a better one will sew the V to keep the corners from popping up.
So, probably. Probably, it’s a patch like the 531 patch that had square corners.
There’s no rhyme or reason as to why some are V’d, it’s just how it was originally drawn.
tda003
Well-Known Member
I agree that it's very likely a Marine's jacket and possibly enlisted. However at that time, most squadron pathes and name tags were attached via velcro to facilitates reissue. You may have a privately owned G-1 with patches sewn. Again, more likely a Marine jacket since, as earlier stated, the navy tended to add more patches.
I checked with a couple of my old squadron mates and they agree. If that is the case then the patches could have been from squadrons further away than just Souhern California,
Sorry to add to the confusion,
I checked with a couple of my old squadron mates and they agree. If that is the case then the patches could have been from squadrons further away than just Souhern California,
Sorry to add to the confusion,
tda003
Well-Known Member
Looking at the stitching where the name label was sewn on, there appear to be holes from where 2 seperate name patches were sewn on, so probably more than one owner/wearer. As an aside, in 1996 virtually all name/rank patches were velcroed on, including officers and the name tags issued were larger than what the stitching on your jacket indicates.
rob20uk
Well-Known Member
I might have some patches stitched on and do the name one velcro.
Do you have any idea what the rectangular one on the left sleeve would be? Guessing it might be the starts and stripes
tda003
Well-Known Member
This is what the current patch looks like. My recollection is that the leather has a matt finish and can either have the Naval Aviator, Air Obeserver, Air Crew wings embossed in gols or the EGA, also in gold. They would be stithed where the indented lines are. This may be a newer version. I don't know the exact measurements, but the length is about the same, but the width is about the same as the USAF version.
