Conceived and assembled following lessons learned on earlier Allied air drops, the Pathfinder units of United States Army served as the tip of the spearhead of American forces. Selected from among the ranks of the airborne infantry, Pathfinders were trained on an array of signal and guidance devices, with which they could go into an intended drop zone ahead of the main airborne body to act as guides for the larger grouping of planes and gliders. This job, to be blunt, was exceptionally dangerous; between when they dropped and when the rest of the unit made it in, they were alone in very hostile territory, and they were expected to actively seek and destroy enemies who presented a threat to the drop zone. Pathfinder forces saw combat in the parachute assault on Normandy, the invasion of the South of France in Operation Dragoon, and Operation Market Garden. This lot consists of several Pathfinder related World War II artifacts. 1) Size 34R jacket featuring a large, fantastic, and rare embroidered 1st Pathfinder Group patch depicting Bugs Bunny on the left chest and captain shoulder rank. 2) AN-6530 goggles. 3) "AVIATION" marked binoculars with leather carry case. Case is marked with the initials ":J.S." 4) "U.S. M3 CASE" marked fighting knife with sheath. 5) "1943 Parachute Training," Fort Benning, Georgia, photo booklet. 6) Silk safety chute marked "PART NO. AN69310/HAYES MFG. CORP./DATE FEB. 1943" above a U.S. anchor. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

The items are very good overall with the jacket showing some light staining and an excellent patch, a scratched goggle lens, and sharpened knife blade.