Monthly Archives: January 2014

WW2 401st Glider 101st Airborne Division Purple Heart And Ike Jacket Grouping

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401st GIR Purple Heart Group Front

This WWII Ike jacket and purple heart medal grouping belonged to a member of the 101st Airborne Division.  He was severely wounded in January 1945 losing fingers from his hand and toes from one of his feet. He spent nearly 300 days in hospitals recovering from his wounds. Luckily, he did finally recover from his wounds. Although purple hearts were most often engraved with the name of the Veteran for personal killed in action during WWII, they were also sometimes engraved for those who were seriously wounded or the veteran himself could have the medal privately engraved.  I think this purple heart was privately engraved.

I have some records from him that indicate that he was a member of the 401st Glider Infantry in 1945.  By 1945, many members of the glider infantry had also been parachute qualified, which would explain his jump wings instead of glider wings.  Also, he may have transferred into the 401st from a parachute unit.

Please note that we have blurred out his last name in the photos for privacy.

G Company 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division Grouping

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G Company 506 PIR Group Front View

This WWII grouping belonged to a paratrooper of Company G, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.  It consists of his Ike jacket with 506th PIR oval, overseas cap, 506th PIR pocket patch, 506th DI, and some photos/paperwork (which are not picture).  I have posted the pocket patch and 506th oval in other posts on this blog, but I have never posted the entire group together.

This paratrooper saw action from D-Day to the end of the war with Company G.  His ribbon bar on his Ike jacket reflects his earning the bronze star and purple heart.

WWII F Company 506th PIR 101st Airborne Patch and Book Grouping

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506th PIR Patch Grouping Front View

Here is more of the massive F Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division grouping that has been the subject of my previous three posts (M42 jump pants, M43 rigger modified pants, reinforced jump jacket).  Pictured are two variations of the airborne patch designed to be sewn on the overseas cap.  There are a couple of loose WWII 101st screaming eagle patches.

The 541 crossed rifles insignia were used by the 541st Parachute Infantry Regiment.  The 541st PIR was mainly used as an airborne training unit during WWII and never saw combat as a unit.  It trained and then sent replacements to the other airborne units. At the very end of the war in 1945 it was sent to the Pacific Theater, but WWII ended before it was ready to be deployed in combat.  This Veteran was attached to the 541st for training before transferring to the 506th PIR.

Also pictured is an paratrooper jump wing on cloth and officer 2nd Lieutenant rank.  The small 101st Airborne book was produced right after the war ended and became a popular souvenir of WW2 101st Airborne Veterans.  It is a brief history of the exploits of the 101st Airborne Division during the war.

WWII US M42 Paratrooper Jump Pants That Belonged To A Member of F Company 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division

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M42 Paratrooper Jump Pants Right Side

These original World War Two airborne M42 paratrooper pants belonged to the same F Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division paratrooper that also owned the Reinforced Jump Jacket that I posted on November 11, 2013 and the rigger modified M43 pants that I posted on November 18, 2013.  They have his laundry number stamped inside of them, but we have blurred that out for privacy.

Although they are not reinforced, they are in very nice condition showing only a little use and some light age from storage.  They look really nice on display with his reinforced jump jacket.  The tag is no longer present.