A superb example of a 

World War Two United States Army

8oth Infantry Division

GI's Battle Blouse Shoulder Patch

circa 1943-45.


Originally raised during in 1917 during The Great War,


the 8oth Division was composed of recruits drawn from the states of


Pennsylvania and Virginia,


through which the Blue Ridge Mountains pass.


 

 Reactivated in WW-II, the 80th Infantry landed


in France in August 1944 and entered 


The Battle for Normandy in Argentan


and then took part in the


Battle of the Bulge


in the Ardennes in December ‘44 before pushing on into


central Germany from January 1945 onwards.


 

Arriving in Germany, they provided relief for the


US 6th Armoured Division at Buchenwald Concentration Camp


 from April 12, 1945, and thence continued on


into Austria and liberated the prisoners in the


Ebensee slave labour camp,


(a subcamp of Mauthausen concentration camp),


on May 4th & 5th.


 

With Germany surrendering on May 7, 1945


to end the Second World War,


the 80th Infantry Division became part of the


Army of Occupation in Austria


until their return to the US & deactivation in January 1946.



The cotton shield in light tan and pale-blue and

featuring 3 mountains as the central image,

measures some 2" x 1.75" and, in superb condition,

still bears the original identifying

label on the back which is held in place by a slightly rusty pin.



Another fabulous, original piece of war-time 

Battle of Normandy-related US Insignia

that, as with a number of our other 

US Army & British Airborne-related offerings,

have been in the same West Country house-hold 

close by a combined WW-II 1943-45 

US & British Army Training base 

that was established in the build-up to 

D-Day June 6th 1944

and the later famous 

Battle of The Bulge 

and the
 
Rhine Crossings.


Traded to the farmer next door in exchange for fresh milk, cheese & eggs etc,

the badges swapped were helpfully labelled by the soldiers at the time,

with small hand-written US notes on the rear ID-ing each patch...

and held in place by an, often, now rusted pin..!


Please note:

The 1944 D-Day era US Navy landing craft crewman's helmet shown in the first image

and the final group shots of traded WW-II US Infantry badges are

for display purposes only

 and not for sale in this lot..!


+++ This sale is for the single US 80th Infantry Division patch only! +++


(B/W Photo courtesy of The Tomahawk Films WW-II Archive)


Thanks for looking..!