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Flying Tiger patches placement

Monsoon

Well-Known Member
Ok, did some searching and now throughly confused.

What shoulder patches were used?

Blood chits? Back or on the inside??

Thanks!
 

Brettafett

Well-Known Member
Yes, its a bit all over...
Gotta start here:
Are you talking about the AVG (original Flying Tigers)? or the 23 Fighter Group, which succeeded the original AVG and was composed of a few of them?
 

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Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
no set rules above and beyond squadron patches on the left chest for fighter groups. for bomb groups the general rule was the squadron patch on the left chest, and if at all, the group patch on the right chest. hq meatball on the left shoulder [though i have seen them on the right] and the shield on the right. originally, blood chits of the leather type, [chinese flag and a little later in combination with a us flag, and written in chinese, return this ally...] were worn on the back of the jacket. it was determined at some point that the blood chit on the back made a downed airman an easy target, so silk, cotton, and sometimes blood chits, and or flags were sewn into liners . some on the inside back, some left front, some right front on the inside liner. some were sewn in the liner only, others were sewn right through the liner and leather shell. however, i have seen all kinds of variations.
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
no set rules above and beyond squadron patches on the left chest for fighter groups. for bomb groups the general rule was the squadron patch on the left chest, and if at all, the group patch on the right chest. hq meatball on the left shoulder [though i have seen them on the right] and the shield on the right. originally, blood chits of the leather type, [chinese flag and a little later in combination with a us flag, and written in chinese, return this ally...] were worn on the back of the jacket. it was determined at some point that the blood chit on the back made a downed airman an easy target, so silk, cotton, and sometimes blood chits, and or flags were sewn into liners . some on the inside back, some left front, some right front on the inside liner. some were sewn in the liner only, others were sewn right through the liner and leather shell. however, i have seen all kinds of variations.

That pretty much covers it SS, we have three huge CBI/AVG books in the factory, packed full of photos, the one certain rule the photos prove is there weren't any rules
The only consitency I've ever noticed is in the attack/retreat switch of the leaping tiger, I believe that dates to 1942 and the formation of the 14thAF but I'd stand corrected if anyone has a better memory than mine!
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
many, many many years ago, i was told by an old chinese guy who claimed to in the thick of it at afb in southern china,, that the tiger facing left [towards the left shoulder] was to ward off bad spirits [japanese], and the tiger facing right [towards the right shoulder] was to bring a tigers strength to the wearer. facing left or right is correct. this, i was told.
 

Monsoon

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info!!

I was thinking more along the lines of what they wore on M-422 jackets.
 

Garylafortuna

Well-Known Member
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A few shots of my Diamond Dave RW 1401P with 23rd FG, 14th AF, CBI, AAF, and blood chit patches. Hope you like. Please forgive the sloppy fit. A few years ago I destroyed my left shoulder and now need a little extra room to negotiate in and out of a jacket.
 

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Brettafett

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info!! I was thinking more along the lines of what they wore on M-422 jackets.
That would be more AVG era. Earlier... nothing, but later as can be seen in above pic, squadron patch on left breast. And also leather blood chit.
Tex Hill adorned his M422a with all the 'decorations' when AVG was pulled into the 23FG. Although 23FG pilots were issued with A-2s, seems he held onto and wore his M422a.
All that said, would love to see Ken's books. Those pics may tell more of a story.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
tomorrow or friday i will take some pix of my original 75th fs [rolled out of the 2nd fs avg] rw a-2. because of the way it is patched, i would posit that it was done in 1941.
 

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
avg= american volunteer group. the chinese nationalist govt did have an air force, such as it was, but the japanese imperial air force pasted them until they were trained by the avg. i believe that chinese pilots flew in the avg after it was organized.
 

taikonaut

Active Member
There was a volunteer group of Chinese Americans fighter pilots that predate what history have decided to be the first AVG.
Arthur Chin was recognised as the first American Ace of WW2. He flew bi-planes against and defeated more modern Japanese fighters.
 

Monsoon

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the help!

That's sort of what I was thinking. Back in the 422 era, there didn't seem too many with patches. Once they got the A-2, they had the usual amount you'd see on an ETO jacket.
 
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