ORIGINAL VINTAGE PRE WWII USN NAVAL AVIATION SQUADRON JACKET PATCH USS SARATOGA. Bought from local estate of Naval Aviator who served pre WWII – 1960s. Approx 5 1/2 diameter. Captain Harmon enlisted in 1933, US Naval Academy 1938, USS Saratoga, WWII CO of VPB-105 flying PB4Y-1s out of RAF Station Dunkeswell England. Harmon was piloting his aircraft on Nov 10, 1943 when he became involved in a legendary battle of aircraft vs surfaced U-Boat – the U-966 commanded by Eckehard Wolf. The U-966 fought an extremely long running tag team battle – 1st vs a No. 612 squadron Wellington bomber, then a No. 407 sqdn Wellington which was shot down by U-966s deck gun, Harmon next jumped in and took damage from AA fire disabling his bomb bay doors, then a VB-103 PBY followed by one from VB-110, lastly a No. 311 Sqdn Czech Liberator forced the U-Boat capt to scuttle the boat off the coast of Spain with 6 dead and the rest captured. For this fight he was awarded a US and British DFC and the Russian Order of Glory 3rd Class. He is one of a handful of US officers to be awarded the OG3 and the British DFC is a scarce award to US pilots as well. Post war he assumed many different commands until retirement in 1968. Please see my other auctions for more estate military items. Thank you and good luck! Add a map to your own listings. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\Militaria (Date Unknown)\Navy”. The seller is “aceshigh!” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, Sweden, Korea, South, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Republic of, Malaysia, Colombia, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French Guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macau, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay, Philippines, Cayman Islands.
- Type: Jacket