Original Item. Only One Available. AACS was charged with “the operation of all fixed Air Corps radio facilities installed for the purpose of facilitating air traffic between Army Flying Fields in the Continental United States.4 In order to assure centralized control, the system was placed under the immediate direction of the Chief of the Air Corps. The United States was divided into three communications regions, with headquarters located as follows: the 1st at March Field, California; the 2d at Langley Field, Virginia; and the 3d at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. To each of these regions one of three newly created communications squadrons was assigned. The procurement and installation of communications equipment remained a responsibility of the Chief Signal Officer. Base commanders continued to be responsible for housekeeping, discipline, and administrative control over AACS personnel, but the traditional authority of the base commander was now definitely limited in the interest of a centralized direction of operations throughout the system. Air-ground and ground-air contacts, point-to-point messages relating to the movement of aircraft, control of military air traffic, and the provision of navigational aids—all these came within the province of the new system.

This is a very interesting armband which we believe to denote a member of the U.S. AACS who was stationed at the top of the Eiffel Tower. The armband measures 6¾” laid out and is sewn closed. It is chain-stitched:

AACS
EXPOSITION
TOUR EIFFEL

This is surrounded by lightning bolt arrows. AACS stands for Army Airways Communications System and the text below translates to Eiffel Tower Exposition. This likely denotes that the wearer worked with the AACS on the Eiffel Tower after France’s liberation in 1945, but this requires more research.

Ready for further research and display.