The contents of the lot are attributed by the consignor to a R.D. Ervin of the U.S. Naval Reserve; records are scarce, but they are described as a member of Naval Group China and the Sino-American Cooperation Organization (SACO); also known as the Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization, the SACO was established in 1943 as a joint Nationalist/American operation headed up in tandem by the chief of Chiang Kai-Shek's secret police and the commander of the U.S. Navy's intelligence outfit in China. The SACO served as an intelligence gathering/sharing organization as well as a training center for Chinese guerrilla forces operating in Japanese occupied territory and other tasks. Group includes: 1) Leather "blood chit", 9 3/4 inches wide and 8 inches tall, with a blue leather anchor applied to the front and post-war hand-written markings on the rear. 2) SACO patch, leather construction with the Nationalist Star on a yellow anchor. 3) SACO patch, leather construction with the "???!!!***" pennant logo in the center and "U.S. NAVY/CHINA" in paint around the exterior. 4) Two gold "U.S.N." lapel pins and a "fouled anchor" silver USN pin. 5) Leather nametag, marked "R.D.Ervin - U.S.N.R.". 6) Twelve photos, showing soldier and field scenes, with some mounted on cardboard with hand written notes attributing them to China in 1945. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Good overall. The patches and chit show signs of being attached to a jacket, with the chit showing some smudging/fading of the markings and mild cracking. One of the USN lapel pins is bent.