(475) ORIGINAL, "REGULATION" TYPE ( MACHINE-WOVEN IN FRANCE ) SHOULDER
SLEEVE INSIGNIA ( SSI ) FOR AN ENLISTED MAN IN THE WW II US ARMY ( ETO ) 6860TH
HEADQUARTER'S DETACHMENT INTELLIGENCE ASSAULT FORCE ( "T" FORCE ).
This ULTRA-RARE, WW II US
Army ETO shoulder sleeve insignia ( SSI ) is the machine-woven, "regulation" ( FRENCH theatre-made ) version, for
an other ranks' member of the 6860 Headquarter's Detachment, or "T" Force ( photo ). This
machine-woven "EGYPTIAN-cotton" version was probably made in France in late 1944, or early
1945. This NEAR MINT example does not appear to have been sewn on a uniform ( photo ).
N.B. : Please refer to the description of the "T" FORCE "OFFICER'S", or "dress" patch ( ITEM #447 in this category ) for a more
in-depth history of the "T" Force itself, and its ultra-rare, UNIQUE shoulder sleeve insignia.
ULTRA-RARE, ORIGINAL, FRENCH MACHINE-EMBROIDERED ( ca. 1944-45 ) SHOULDER
PATCH, FOR AN ENLISTED MAN IN THE WW II ( ETO ) US ARMY'S 6860TH HEADQUARTER'S
DETACHMENT ( INTELLIGENCE ASSAULT FORCE, OR "T" FORCE ).
$2,500.00. ORDER
(447) ORIGINAL, HAND-EMBROIDERED
BULLION, SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA ( SSI ) FOR AN OFFICER ATTACHED TO THE WW II ( ETO ) US ARMY'S 6860TH HEADQUARTER'S DETACHMENT
INTELLIGENCE ASSAULT FORCE ( "T" FORCE ).
This WW II US Army sleeve patch ( SSI ) is probably
THE RAREST "official " US SSI to actually be worn in the ETO before the end of the war in Europe ( May 8, 1945 ). The US Army's 6860th
Headquarter's Detachment, or "T" Force, was created in late 1944, for the purpose of gathering valuable intelligence, and technological data, in
areas overun by the advancing Allied armies, often within only minutes, or hours, after their capture. The patch ( SSI ) itself is intended
to represent the five different Allied military units, or organizations, from which the "T" Force was raised: viz., the 5TH and 7TH US Armies, the
British Eighth Army, the French 1ST Army, and the US 6TH Army Group, and, therefore, the final approved design of the "T" Force's UNIQUE SSI is
a rather ingenious "amalgam" of those units' insignia. This AUTHENTIC specimen is the the so-called "OFFICER'S" version, or "dress" patch, which
is meticulously, and tightly, hand-embroidered, on a white felt backing, and piped with twisted gold bullion ( photo ). The verso still has much of
its brown tissue-paper backing still present ( photo ). The SSI shows some natural age-toning, or tarnishing, of the gold bullion components, and
the white felt background is slightly "greyed", but the overall condition of this RAREST-OF-THE-RARE ( only three known surviving hand-embroidered specimens ) WW II
US shoulder sleeve insignia is "Used; slightly aged, low-EXCELLENT".
N.B. It is estimated that, all together, less than three-hundred "T" Force patches, including the machine-embroidered patches, were produced prior to VE Day; making
ANY, authentic, PERIOD-MADE, "T" Force SSI argueably THE RAREST "official" WW II USA sleeve patch.
N.B. To learn more about the history ( and various insignia ) of the "T" Force, I highly recommend the following
website: www.insigne.org/T-Force-I.htm.
AUTHENTIC, HAND-EMBROIDERED "DRESS" VERSION, WW
II US ARMY ( ETO ) 6860TH HQ DETACHMENT ( "T" FORCE )SHOULDER SLEEVE INSIGNIA.
$4,995.00. ORDER
(418) ORIGINAL, PERIOD, THEATRE-MADE, NUREMBURG
WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL U.S. ARMY OFFICER'S SHOULDER PATCH.
This
very scarce USA shoulder patch was designed for wear by US Army OFFICER'S serving on the
staff of the U.S. War Crimes Tribunal, in Nuremburg, Germany, ca. 1945-46. The patch, like
all known ORIGINAL examples, was hand-made "locally", and is therefore subject to some
minor variation, in both design, and style of hand-embroidery ( photo ). This particular
example is rendered in the approved escutcheon shape, and measures 3.6 inches X 3.0
inches. The patch is constructed of red and blue wool felt, with a raised black rayon
border ( photo ). The "Scales of Justice" are nicely hand-embroidered in gold, and
silver, wire bullion ( photo ). The verso is covered with thin, deteriorated, manila-colored
paper ( photo ). The presence of stitch holes on the margin ( photo ) would indicate that
the patch was, at some time, sewn on a USA OFFICER'S blouse. The overall condition
is "Used; removed from a uniform, low-EXCELLENT".
RARE, AUTHENTIC, PERIOD, THEATRE-MADE, U.S. ( NUREMBURG ) WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL OFFICER'S SHOULDER PATCH.
$1,650.00. ORDER