Original U.S. WWII CBI AAF Technical Sergeant Uniform Group with Indian-Made Wings, Visor Cap, and Binder of Research with Photo of Soldier in this Uniform - Eugene E. Kowalski
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Original Items: One-of-a-Kind Group. This is an exceptional identified U.S. Army Air Forces grouping belonging to Eugene E. Kowalski, a Technical Sergeant who served in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. The group consists of Kowalski’s decorated enlisted service coat, visor cap, and an extensive research binder containing dozens of original personal photographs taken during his overseas service, including a photograph showing him wearing this same uniform.
The uniform jacket has a lovely CBI bullion patch on the left shoulder, bullion Army Air Force patch on the right shoulder, one service stripe and four overseas stripes on the left cuff. There are Technical Sergeant chevrons on both sleeves, and a Ruptured Duck patch above the right breast pocket. There are US & AAF collar discs and a set of sterling Observer wings over the left breast pocket. Below this is a 5-place ribbon bar with British ribbons, including their 1939-1945 Star, the very rare USMC China Liberation ribbon, the Good conduct medal, Asiatic campaign medal, and American campaign medal. The interior is marked size 40R.
The visor cap is the correct AAF style with the wraparound chinstrap. It has an enlisted cap badge that has broken through the cap as the nut is very small. It should sit fine for display. It is size 7 ⅜” and is marked in the celluloid sweat protector for manufacture by Bailey’s Inc. of Rockford, Illinois.
The binder has several dozen photographs, most of them small that he took with his personal camera, of scenes in the CBI theater, the forest, Indian girls that he fancied, and photos with his friends. Most of them are inscribed on the back, rare to see and a great window into his personality. One photograph shows him wearing this uniform. The name of the group comes from a couple of business cards in the binder.
The China-Burma-India Theater was one of the most geographically demanding Allied commands of World War II. American Army Air Forces personnel operated across India, Burma, and China in roles ranging from transport and reconnaissance to bombardment, communications, maintenance, weather observation, and support of Chinese and Allied ground forces.
The CBI insignia itself was originally devised in India to distinguish American troops serving alongside British and Commonwealth personnel and quickly became one of the most recognizable theater-made insignia of the war.
The combination of the identified Eugene E. Kowalski uniform, Technical Sergeant rank, bullion CBI and Army Air Forces insignia, theater-made sterling Observer wings, four overseas bars, discharge emblem, Bailey’s visor cap, mixed American and foreign ribbon bar, and extensive archive of personally annotated CBI photographs including an image of Kowalski wearing the uniform makes this an unusually complete and researchable Army Air Forces grouping.
Its greatest historical value lies not simply in the individual insignia, but in the surviving photographic record connecting the uniform directly with Kowalski’s own experience in the China-Burma-India Theater.
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5
Shoulder to sleeve: 24.5
Shoulder to shoulder: 17
Chest width: 17.5
Waist: 18
Hip: 22.5
Front length: 33.5
- This product is available for international shipping.
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