Monthly Archives: January 2016

WWII 15th AIR FORCE B-17 PILOT’S UNIFORM GROUPING WITH 39 HANDWRITTEN LETTERS. ORIGINAL WWII B-17 PILOT’S UNIFORM & LETTER GROUPING 15TH AIR FORCE, 2ND BOMB GROUP, 49TH BOMB SQUADRON FLEW 28 MISSIONS BETWEEN NOVEMBER 44 & MAY 45 WELL DECORATED PILOT, LT HENRY LEE BERRYHILL 30 LETTERS WRITTEN BY BERRYHILL FROM AIR BASE IN ITALY VERY GOOD ACCOUNT OF THE WAR FROM A BOMBER PILOT PLEASE READE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION & EXAMINE ALL PHOTOS. This grouping is identified to Lieutenant Henry Lee Berryhill Junior of Charlotte, North Carolina. LT Berryhill was a recepient of at least one Distinguished Flying Cross and Multiple Air Medals. This grouping consists of Lieutenant Berryhill’s Four Pocket Dress Coat and Thirty Nine Handwritten War Time Letters. Thirty of which were written by LT Berryhill while flying with the 15th Air Force, 2nd Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Squadron from a base in Italy. EVERY item except the shirt and tie belonged to and/or were worn by LT Berryhill during WWII. This grouping is from our personal collection and we displayed it with the Original WWII USAAF Officer’s Shirt and Tie that you see here. We are including it so that you may display these items in the same manner as seen in the photos provided here. LT Henry Lee Berryhill’s letters give very good insight into the training and life of a B-17 Pilot Flying Combat Missions during the war and are worthy of being in the collection of research library or historical institution. They make for an excellent display with his uniform items and dog tags. Within the letters he speaks of many war related topics that apply to a combat pilot. He mentions the stuggles of flying a heavy bomber into flak, flying over the Alps, the temperature plummetting in the cockpit to 65 below zero during bombing missions, the “new” incendiary bombs, the cockpit frosting over at altitude, the hatrde of the enemy, fighting bitter cold and boredom, poor sleeping conditions, dealing with never ending rain and mud, missing home, comradery of his crew, losing friends, buddies and aquaintances, hearing from home that people he knew were lost or killed. He speaks of all these struggles but also tells about what they eat, daily camp life, rolling an oil barrell a quarter mile through mud, no ability to obtain souvenirs and many other insighful topics. The early letters give very good insight into his training in Mississippi. LT Berryhill was a student at the University of North Carolina and enlisted in the US Army Air Corp in 1942. His is very well educated and very articulate. His Handwriting is VERY Good and His Letters are Clear and Easy to Read. Every single letter is in EXCELLENT Condition and Every Letter Maintains its Original Envelope, except for one that was written not long after the war! There are also letters from other servicemembers. Two from a friend of LT Berryhill’s who is serving on a US Navy LSM in the Pacific. This sailor goes into a bit of detail about what it was like to “Island Hop” during the war. Another letter was written in October 1945 by a fellow USAAF Pilot from a Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In this letter it appears that he is describing what it is like to be dealing with trying to wear a prosthetic leg. His handwriting appears hurried and is rather hard to read at times. This is a sobering collection that is a very good primary source and first hand account of historical events that forever changed the world. The letters are well worth reading and the entire grouping will make an excellent addition to your USAAF or 15th Air Force Collection. WWII US Army Air Forces Pilot’s Four Pocket Dress Coat – VERY GOOD CONDITION. LT Berryhill’s Dark OD Wool Four Pocket Dress Coat Shows minor age, wear and use. Maintains Excellent Color with NO Soiling, NO Staining and NO Fading. All material is very solid and all stitching is excellent. Very Light Scattered Mothing. None is readily apparent and none detracts from the appearance of the coat. Only visible under close inspection with bright light. Maintains EXCELLENT Condition Bullion Embroidered Wool US Army Air Forces Winged Star Shoulder Insignia / Patch to the Left Shoulder. Shoulder Insignia Appears Theater Made and remains very firmly stitched. Lapels maintain their original “US” and Winged Propeller Officer’s Insignia. Insignia maintain their original early war style, solid brass “Phinney” clutches. The shoulder’s maintain their original WWII Pin and Clasp Back First Lieutenant’s Rank Insignia in Very Good Condition but show tarnish. To the left chest the coat maintains its Original WWII Bullion Stitched US Army Pilot’s Wings. This Wing Badge is stitched on and shows age and wear with some thread damage to the wearer’s right side that is visible in the photos. They remain firmly stitched to the coat and display rather well as the lapel covers most of the worn / damaged area. The Interior of the Coat remains in Excellent Condition with virtually no signs of age, wear or use. There is no apparent soiling or staining and all stitching remains solid and undamaged. The “Regulation Army Officer’s Coat” tag remains in place as does the QMD Tag to the Interior of the inside pocket. Both are visible in the photos. The Coat is a Larger Size than Listed on the QMD Tag and Easily Fits on a Mannequin Torso for Display. The MEASUREMENTS ARE: CHEST = 20 Inches From Center Armpit Seam to Center Armpit Seam Measured Across the Front When Buttoned and Laying Flat; SLEEVES = 25 1/2 Inches Measuered From Top Shoulder Seam to Cuff; BACK = 19 Inches Measured from Shoulder Seam to Shoulder Seam Across the Upper Back, Just Below the Collar. WWII US Army Air Corps Officer’s Dress Shirt – VERY GOOD CONDITION. OD Green Wool Shirt that remains very solid and maintains all original buttons firmly stitched. Shirt shows minor age, wear and use but remains very solid with NO Fading or Staining. Maintains a “crisp” appearance and remains in a very good state of press. There is a small area of very light moth tracking near the upper right corner of the chest pocket. The tracking is not readily apparent and only visible under close inspection. Most of the area is covered by the tie when dispalyed as seen in the photos. There is one Moth Nip that is slightly larger than a pencil lead located just below the patch that is visible in the photos. Two small spots of very light soiling to the right pocket that are approximately the size of a nickel. The shirt maintains a WWII stitched edge USAAF Winged Star Shoulder Insignia that remains in Good Condition and firmly stitched but shows age and wear. The Size Tag remains to the interior collar and lists the shirt as a SIZE 15 – 33. The MEASUREMENTS Are: CHEST = 22 Inches; BACK = 18 Inches; SLEEVES = 24 1/4. All measured in the same manner as described in the coat description. WWII US Army Officer’s Tie – EXCELLENT CONDITION. No mothing, soiling or staining. No fading and maintains excellent color. Light weight wool blend that is officer quality and displays very well. WWII Letters Dated Between June 1942 – October 1945 – EXCELLENT CONDITION. All letters are very nicely placed inside plastic protective sleeves and housed chronologically in a Three Ring Binder with a very nice cover photo and titled spine. ALL Letters, Except for the Only One Written by LT Berryhill After the War, Maintain their Original Envelopes! All Letters Remain VERY Clear and VERY Easy to See and Read. They are not torn or damaged and their is NO Paper Loss to Any of the Letters. They show virtually NO age darkening or foxing (red discoloration) and look as though they were written very recently! In our examining of thousands of pages of letters over MANY years, I do not believe we have EVER seen any WWII letters in such Near Perfect Condition! THIRTY of the Letters Were Written by LT Berryhill from his Air Base in Italy and give very good detail about his experiences and the war. They are excellent insight into the daily life of a B-24 “Flying Fortress” Pilot who is flying combat missions to such hot beds of flak as Germany, Austria and Yugoslavia among other locations. He Mentions a Navigator nearly being killed by Flak and states, There are no atheists in combat. ” Describes flying over the Alps and states you feel about as important as a mouse when “the flak starts to explode around you. Speaks of sub zero temperatures in the plane at altitude, rough missions due to flak, counts down his missions, tells how many flown to date, tells countries flown over, having to turn back during missions due to engine trouble, tells of his promotion to First Lieutenant, Tells of being Promoted to First Pilot and Getting His Own Aircraft and Crew, etc, etc, etc. A lot of insight into daily life. Nearly freezing in tents, living in snow and rain, thick mud coating everyting, being grounded due to weather, trying to build a house to get out of the cold, getting paint from the flight line, funny stories about a pet monkey who chews gum, steals things from their pockets, tries to pick fleas from their hair and eats shaving cream. And much much more. This all written in the 30 letters from Italy. Some are on USAAF Stationary that is Thick and of High Quality. One letter from June of 1942 is written from the University of North Carolina. One dated November 1943 is written from US AAF Training Detachment Clarksdale, Mississippi and Two with December 1943 Dates are written from US AAF Flying School Greenville, Mississippi. These letters give very good insight into his training and his experiences at these training bases. The LAST Letter written by LT Berryhill is the only one written by him after the war. It is written from the Hotel Pearson in Chicago, Illinois and is on Hotel Stationary. It is Dated 8 October 1945 and gives a lot of information regarding his new position with the USAAF as a Ferrying Pilot. He also States that He is Going to the WORLD SERIES Game Today! Very good letter written in a positive tone that gives a lot of insight into the ferrying of aircraft. Plus, there are four other letters written by two of his friends who are also in the military. These are described in the opening. There are more details and more information in these letters than we can possibly describe here. All are written to his mother, except one that is written to his brother, Billy. From reading these, you can easily sense that he is a very good hearted and wonderful person who is dedicated to his His Country, His Service and His Family. LT Henry Lee Berryhill’s WWII “Dog Tags” – EXCELLENT CONDTION. Original set of WWII Notched Identification Tags with LT Berryhill’s name, service number and other information. They Remain on their Original Chain and are undamaged with no rust or corrosion. All information remains clear and easy to see. WWII USAAF Cut Edge Patch / Shoulder Insignia – VERY GOOD CONDITION. Nice USAAF Winged Star Insignia. Early war style cut edge embroidered felt. Shows signs of being stitched to a garment at some point, but shows no soiling, staining or fading. Documents and Research. You also receive a copy of his WWII Draft Registration Card and other recent research that gives information regarding LT Berryhill and his family. A copy of his Obituary is Also Included and can be seen in the photos provided here. It is VERY informative and an excellent addition to the collection. The documents you receive do a good job of documenting this grouping and provide more than enough information for you to conduct further research if you so choose. LT Berryhill became a well known and well published Geologist after WWII and made his mark on the science that he loved dearly. He was very well published and wrote a number of books as well are seamingly countless journal articles. This Collection is a wonderful tribute to this man and his service both during WWII and after. His Four Pocket Coat Displays Very Well with his Dog Tags and his other original items. The addition of an original WWII USAAF Officer’s Shirt and Tie help round out the grouping for an impressive, historical display. The letters bound and housed within the three ring binder display very well and makes them easy to access and read. This collection is very unique and truly one of a kind. You will be VERY pleased with it when you see it and very proud to add it to your collection. Please examine all photos and ask any questions that you may have. We will provide you with inside information regarding our items and listings on a regular basis. If you are a serious collector, you will not want to miss out. We will be offering many more rare and museum quality groupings, collections and individual pieces in the near future. So, have your “Battle Plan” ready, because at any time we may list exactly what you are looking for!! Get Images that Make Supersized Seem Small. Auctiva’s Listing Templates improve your auctions in minutes. Attention Sellers – Get Templates Image Hosting, Scheduling at Auctiva. The item “WWII 15th AIR FORCE B-17 PILOT’S UNIFORM GROUPING WITH 39 HANDWRITTEN LETTERS” is in sale since Saturday, January 23, 2016. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\United States\Uniforms”. The seller is “geauxusa” and is located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States