Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 20:
Description
WWII Airborne Pair: Paraglider & Parachute Infantry Garrison Cap Patches. WWII U.S. Army Airborne garrison cap patch pair – a combined Paraglider (glider-over-parachute) insignia and a Parachute Infantry patch, both on light blue Infantry-branch backing, circa 1942-1945. This lot comprises two distinct types of embroidered cloth insignia authorized for wear on the overseas/garrison side cap by U.S. Army Airborne troops during the Second World War. The larger patch depicts a CG-4A Waco-type glider superimposed over an open parachute – the combined "paraglider" design adopted by 1944 to unify glider-borne and parachute-qualified personnel under a single emblem. The smaller patch bears the earlier, simpler parachute-only design worn by Parachute Infantry before the standardized combined insignia came into general use. Both are mounted on the light blue wool/felt field that designated the Infantry branch of service, a color scheme instantly recognizable to collectors of American airborne militaria. Neither patch carries a visible name, unit marking, or maker’s stamp, and no individual recipient or unit attribution accompanies this lot; the pair is catalogued as unattributed vintage insignia consistent with general wartime Airborne issue. The airborne cap insignia system reflects the rapid organizational evolution of American parachute and glider forces between 1942 and 1945. Early Parachute Infantry regiments, activated from 1942 onward and blooded in North Africa, Sicily, and Normandy, wore the simple parachute emblem as a mark of jump-qualified status, while separate Glider Infantry regiments trained and fought alongside them. As airborne divisions matured into combined-arms formations integrating both elements – as seen in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions through Normandy, Market Garden, and the Ardennes – the standardized glider-and-parachute design came into wider wear to express that unified airborne identity. Cap patches such as these were worn on the garrison cap by officers and enlisted men alike, and surviving unissued or lightly worn examples offer collectors tangible, wearable relics of the airborne branch’s wartime service. The Paraglider patch shows crisp white embroidered detailing of the glider and open canopy against a light blue field within a white oval border; the cut edge is clean, with only light general handling wear, and the reverse shows intact stitching consistent with period manufacture. The Parachute Infantry patch retains bright white embroidery of the open canopy and suspension lines against its light blue wool ground within a matching border; the reverse displays the starched cheesecloth/gauze backing characteristic of WWII-dated production, a useful aid to dating and authenticity. No additional items, cap, or paperwork accompany this lot. Both patches present in very good, unissued to lightly handled condition, with clean colors, intact principal embroidery, and no moth damage or fabric loss noted; minor edge irregularity is visible on the parachute-only patch consistent with age. A well-matched pair of scarce WWII Airborne cap insignia – the parachute-only and combined paraglider types together – illustrating the evolution of American airborne branch identity from Sicily to the Bulge.
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