A component of the 12th Air Force active in Europe, the 12th Combat Camera Unit Detachment was one of several units of Army Air Force men responsible for documenting the war in both still photography and motion pictures, both on the ground and in the air with units in action. Among the alumni of the unit was film director and 4-time Academy Award winner Lieutenant Colonel William Wyler, whose wartime work included the documentary "The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress". The patch is 7 inches in diameter, sized for wear on the breast of a leather flight jacket, sky blue background with gold bullion trim and "COMBAT CAMERA" text below a Walt Disney Studios designed unit emblem, a small gremlin garbed in purple and yellow, nose to the camera as it falls through the sky. These unit patches were typically custom made in small quantities, with an attached note indicating this one as hand-made by an unnamed Italian artisan (both the Germans and Allies are known to have taken advantage of Italian handcrafts to enhance their uniforms, as the course of the war permitted), and often got lost in the shuffle as men moved between units. Also included is a small excerpt from an article about Walt Disney and their history with the gremlin character, which includes an image of a very similar logo attributed to the 12th Combat Camera Unit. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Very good. Some mild wear is visible on the edges and backing, with some dark spots on the bullion. The gremlin design has excellent detail and vivid color.