450th Bomber group,722 Squadron In Italy

Hi Friends,
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This is my 1st post. My uncle was in The 450th US AAF 722 squadron, 47th wing during WW2 and stationed in Manduria
Italy, Robert R Myers(Ball turret gunner), The plane(B-24 Liberator) was named "SNATCH" (not to be confused with another plane called( "The Snatch") also from the 450th bomb group! If you are interested he and all his crew are listed on the 450th Bomber group Memorial Association web sit, With photo's of all crew members, The Pilot was LT. Ivan C. James, On July 27th 1944,there plane took a direct hit from a shell under the third engine, and the plane caught fire, ready to blow up at any minute, The order was given for all to bail out the plane, All got out but the nose gunner and Bombideir ,I think the navigator was shot by the Germans as he landed. My Uncle and the Engineer(top turret gunner, James V Holmes ) were captured and taken to Stalag Luth 4, where they were roommates, If you click on James V Holmes photo from the mentioned web page, down below he kept a Diary of the events of the day of the mission to every day they were in prisoned at the camp, with daily logs of there life at this camp for 9 months un till the war ended, a great Read.

So what I am doing is creating a replica leather bomber jacket like what they were had worn with authinic patches , with all there names on the back. under a painting of there plane.

So I have two Questions, 1. would the MAAF patch(Mediterranean AAF) and the Combat Crew patch been worn by Them and if so where were they placed on the leather jacket? I will try to enclose a photo of the jacket I am working on, None of the patches have been sewed on as of yet<

Thanks for any info.
Dave

 

..salute to your uncle...any pics of him?

 

A lot, my cousin( his son) posted many photos on the, 450th Bomb group Official Memorial web page, as well as other family members of the other crew members,
Go to that link, on the left you will see main roaster, A-Z, click on M and look for ROBERT R MYERS, By the way he was the 603rd AAF training group(maybe Alabamba?)
undefeated weather weight boxer, He fought Jack Russel in 1943 and the match was a draw, The interview with my uncle by the US. AAF was published in the newspapers in 1943, in Cincinnati, and all over Florida citys.