WWII US AAF AVG CBI " Flying Tigers " Embroidered Silk Blood Chit RARE
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:6866091 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: Unknown | Featured Refinements: Blood Chit |
Hello, and thank you for viewing my listing for an Original WWII era U.S. Air Force Association (Army Air Force), China-Burma-India Theater, American Volunteer Group "Flying Tigers" embroidered silk Blood Chit. First off, I have to say I was amazed when I found this among other vintage flag items at a 'second-hand' store. I knew what blood chits were because I'm into history, as well as textiles. I didn't know the details concerning this type, but I knew it was... unusual because it was hand-embroidered silk and not a printed version. The more I dug into the history, the more amazed I got. The characters are read from top-down, right-left, and the four columns on the right translate literally as follows; "Come, China, Help, Fight, Foreign, Person, (American), Soldier, Civilian, One, Body, Save, Protect". The five smaller characters on the left are supposed to mean 'provide with medical care' according to one resource. So in vernacular speech this is saying, "This foreign person (American) has come to China to help with the war effort. Soldiers and civilians, one and all, should rescue, protect, and provide him with medical care." The use of the Nationalist Chinese Flag and the Chinese characters of the message are just like the second version of the blood chits that were issued by General Chennault to his American Volunteer Group, the "Flying Tigers, " in the late 1930's, prior to the U.S. entering the war. The difference from the first version is the use of the two characters within the vertical parentheses meaning "American." The original version did not have these unless they were stamped on later. Another difference is that there are only two small characters on the left where a serial number would go, just like the first version, whereas the second version had three. All these features cause me to believe that this chit dates to the 1930's period of the Flying Tigers rather than later. Once America officially entered the war, Chennault's AVG was rolled into the 14th Air Force Association of the Army. The use of blood chits was continued by the U.S. in a few different versions during the course of the war. Handmade blood chits like this one were made by local artisans in the areas the Americans were active in and sold to the US servicemen for their use. I'm not sure why an airman might not have a issued one, maybe they wanted spares, or one reason may be is that the ink used on the issued blood chits was not waterproof and would often fade or run if exposed to water, or say the sweat of a pilot, since fabric chits were often sewn on the inside of a flight suit or carried in a pocket. Examples of this type of embroidered chit are shown in Chapter 7 of Robert E. Baldwin's book "Last Hope: The Blood Chit Story." Well, that is all I'm going to include on the history of CBI Blood Chits here. There is plenty of searchable information on the internet if you wish to learn more. This blood chit measures at 11, 1/2" Long x 8, 1/2" Wide, and is in 'Good/Used' condition. The blood chit condition is as I found it. My compulsion was to iron out the wrinkles, but the creases were probably made by the veteran who was its original owner and that would be like erasing part of the item's history. Please look to my photos before bidding. If you have any questions, please write to me.
I sell all types of collectable items, jewelry and art, mostly antique and vintage. I do research on all my items so that you may make an informed decision on buying. No returns. I ship with USPS First Class Package within 3 business days after payment is received. If you wish another form of shipping, let me know prior to payment and I will adjust the invoice accordingly. Thank you and please save me on your Sellers List. Many of my items are things I have collected over time, but I always keep my eye out for interesting stuff I think someone else might like. Have a great day and good luck bidding!
I sell all types of collectable items, jewelry and art, mostly antique and vintage. I do research on all my items so that you may make an informed decision on buying. No returns. I ship with USPS First Class Package within 3 business days after payment is received. If you wish another form of shipping, let me know prior to payment and I will adjust the invoice accordingly. Thank you and please save me on your Sellers List. Many of my items are things I have collected over time, but I always keep my eye out for interesting stuff I think someone else might like. Have a great day and good luck bidding!
