ID’d 8th Air Force Pilot Group with True Crusher Cap

The uniform, medals, “Crusher” visor cap, and associated memorabilia of World War II bomber pilot Paul F. Rochette, who flew with the 564th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb group of the 8th Air force. The group consists of the following items:

– Uniform: The uniform is comprised of a four pocket officer’s tunic that was re-tailored into an Ike style jacket. The jacket exhibits the classic characteristics of British tailoring, including the addition of a bright red silk lining in the coat. The jacket has an Army air forces patch on the left shoulder and, on the right “combat unit” shoulder, a superb bullion, British-made, 8th Air Force patch. The shoulders have sterling pin back Captain’s bars by Meyer. The collar displays clutch back officer “U.S.” and Air Corps insignia. On the left breast is a sterling, pin back, pilot wing by Meyer (on which the pin correctly opens to only about 90 degrees). Beneath the wing is a ribbon bar for medals and decorations which include the Air Medal, the Army Good conduct Medal, the American Defense Medal, and the European Campaign Medal. The jacket is in generally very good condition, with a spot of noticeable wear on the front next to the left pocket. The uniform also includes the “pink” wool gabardine trousers, which have an interior Quartermaster tag dated April, 1944, and a stated size of 31 Regular. Inside of the trousers is the laundry mark of “”R9561”, which was presumably Rochette’s laundry mark, although because he began serving in the Army as an enlisted man in the late 1930’s, the mark does not appear with his name on a data base of laundry marks used during World War II. The trousers have noticeable mothing to the front.

– Crusher Visor Cap: With the group is Rochette’s officer visor cap, which had the stiffener removed from the peak and which has a visor that is constructed from a single piece of thin, pliable leather. The interior of the cap is marked as “The Flight Command” style cap, by Premiere Uniform Cap company of New York. It is an absolutely classic and true “crusher” style cap of the World War II period with a splendid “50 mission crush” look to it, yet it is extremely clean and in truly fine condition.

– Medals: Rochette’s medals include his cased Air Medal which has a wrap brooch. It is contained within the titled leather case with ribbon bar, lapel badge, and extra length of ribbon. The medal is unnamed as awarded in the Theater of Operations. Also present is an unnamed Good Conduct Medal with slot brooch; a boxed American Defense Medal, slot brooch, with lapel badge, in a Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot marked box from contractor D.L. Auld company, dated December of 1945; boxed, crimp brooch, European Campaign Medal with ribbon bar, in a Medallic Art Company box; and a crimp brooch World War II Victory Medal.

Additional Memorabilia: There is an assortment of varies insignia which includes 1930’s gilt “US” and Air Corps screw back collar disks and a gilt enlisted man’s screw back cap device; two distinctive insignia for the 25th Bomb Group, bot manufactured by Dondero, one screw back and one pin back; embroidered shoulder patches for the Army Air forces, the 8th Air force, and the 4th Air Force; a small screw back enamel badge with the insignia of the 10th Bomb Squadron, 1/2 inch i diameter, by Metal Arts Company; a sterling pilot wing that was made into a bracelet; a pair of full size, 3 inch pilot wings, sterling, with clutch fasteners; and a pair of sterling, pin back pilot wings, 2 inches wide, for wear on the uniform shirt. The materials also include a small envelope with leather Captain’s bars for a flight jacket, the enveloped stamped “P.F. Rochette”; a 1938 receipt for military tailoring named to “P. Rochette”; a Jardur model H flight calculator in its original envelope; a type AN 5835-1 Dead Reckoning Computer in leather case; and a 1953 dated Air Force manual on “Instrument Flying”.

Some very limited research from available online sources indicates that Paul Rochette was the co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator, flying in combat with the 564th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb Group in the 8th Air Force.