Patch, Airborne Command

Before troopers of the 506th and 501st ever wore the screaming eagle patch on their left shoulder, they wore the Airborne Command patch. Whereas the GHQ reserve patch was worn at Toccoa, for small units not yet assigned to a division, the Airborne Command patch was created for small, non-divisional Airborne units. As such, the 506th wore this patch for a few months in early 1943, while stationed at Camp Mackall, N.C. This was after they completed jump school, but before they joined the 101st Airborne Division at Ft Bragg, N.C., becoming members by attachment. At that time, the 506th began to wear the eagle patch. The 501st PIR wore the Airborne Command patch for longer, beginning in spring, 1943, and wearing it until early January, 1944, when they sailed for the UK. The 501st was attached to the 101st AB in England and only then began to wear the screaming eagle insignia. Airborne units stationed state-side, continued to wear this patch into 1945, including the 555st PIB, the Parachute Training Regiments in GA and AL, and the 541st and 542nd PIRs in N.C.