Any true stories about these actually making a difference for a downed pilot? I see replicas advertised in aviation memorabilia catalogs all the time, but I wonder if they were actually useful back in the day.
I just wanted to add, that I’ve been given a pamphlet of handy phrases with corresponding Arabic writing and phonetic translations to help out. I’m not aircrew, but some of the phrases did include, “Please help me to a doctor,” and “Please get me to the nearest Americans.”
So, they’re still issuing pamphlets. I haven’t heard the term “Blood Chits” except for the WWII sewn-in panels you’ve already described.
Tripler
Maybe Airman Doors can provide some insight.
I read a book written by a guy who managed to get shot down over “Yugoslavia” in the early '90s, so they persisted to at least that time.
Didn’t help this guy, who wound up getting escorted back to safety by, IIRC, a pair of fighter jets, a pair of helicopter gunships, and a special forces team in a Blackhawk or similar.
Are you talking about O’Grady? IIRC, he never needed to use his ‘credentials,’ since he spent damn near all of his time on the run.
Tripler
Oh, and that Behind Enemy Lines movie? Sucked.
They still issue them, they still have multiple languages on them detailing what they are for (which hasn’t changed much over the years), and they are very much a controlled item. If you need to use it, you’re already in deep trouble, and what you do is you tear off a corner of it with a serial number that is readily identifiable as yours, which is redeemable for an unspecified reward pending your safe return.
Does it work? I don’t know. Truth is, I don’t want to know. If I’m down to depending on a blood chit I’m already screwed.
I think it was O’Grady, yeah.
Agreement here.
Terrible, unimportant book, so I suspect any associated movie properties would suck just as bad.
His explanation of the blood chit was, in fact, probably the best part of the book.
This won’t answer the OP in any way, but I’ve carried many a blood chit. They’re carefully tracked on issue and return, as are pistols/mags. I’ve always been careful about where I store them on my person when I’m flying, but only because I’m responsible for their safe return. I’ve never actually thought they’d do me any good if I survived a crash or ditch.
Ummm… I Googled:
“blood chit” redeemed
It turned up:
“While not medals, during both WW II and the Korean War, downed flyers who issued “blood chit” coupons to those who assisted in their evasion received either cash or “in kind” awards (occasionally these are still being redeemed, a half century later)(there is even a GWOT evasion assist reward pending at the moment). And then there is the more recent medal especially enacted for award to those government civilians who assisted fellow employees and casualties during the 9/11 attack upon the Pentagon.”
But it’s a message board cite:
Orders & Medals Society of America <— Post #9
You might wish to ask these guys:
I suspect one of them would know, one way or the other.
Well several crewmen from the Doolittle Raid were helped by the Chinese, and seeing as they presumably did not speak Chinese must have used something like this.
Thanks. Anyone else?