Unusual two piece Air Crew with detailed feathers?

[Kimo]

Below and in the following post are some photos of an unusual sterling silver 3 inch, pin back, Air Crew wing I have in my collection and I am hoping to learn who the maker might be along with any other comments or observations anyone may have.

 

The construction of these show the that there was a circular disk with the air crew insignia applied to the circular central area of the wing by the maker. Also, each feather on the wings has a great amount of very finely done detailing. On the back is a silver colored bar pin with the clasp having a rotating catch. The pin enters the catch from near the base. The back is flat except for the area behind the center which is depressed. In the middle of this depressed central area is incised with a stamp that reads STERLING. There are some markings around the lower and side edges of this depressed area but I cannot tell if these are just marks from the die or if they are intentional. They do not seem to be makers marks to me but I suppose they could be.

 

Thanks for looking at this and letting me know what you think.

 

Kimo

[Kimo]

Here are photos of the back of this aircrew wing

[BBG]

It looks like a Moody Bros wing. The back side looks different from any I've ever seen. Thanks for posting it.

[LuftStalg1]

Good looking wing, congrats!

[Kimo]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Do you think the odd "antlers" type marking on the back is just a relic of the way the wing was die stamped or it that odd looking pattern intentional?

 

Also, are Moody Brothers wings typically not marked with their name such as this one or are they found both ways?

 

And, are Moody Brothers wings relatively scarce? This is the only one I have seen like this though I am sure I have not seen many other makers as well.

 

Thanks!

[mghcal]

Hi Kimo,

Nice and really rare wing! I'm of the opinion that these are made by Beverly Craft Co. The style is nearly identical to that companies aircrew wings but with added details. The Beverly Craft wings also seem to have a backwards pin most of the time while this one has a normally placed pin. The indentation on the back is also something I've seen on Beverly Craft wings. Check post #14 in this thread.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/206883-beverly-craft-history/?hl=%2Bbeverly+%2Bcraft

 

I also will include a front and back photo of my example that's similar to yours.

 

 

[mghcal]

the back

[mghcal]

Here is one more aircrew wing that has some added details. These don't get all the glory that the pilot rating seems to draw but most crew members did wear aircrew wings at the beginning of the war. Gunners, radio/radar operators, engineers, all wore aircrew wings. There are some really neat examples out there like the one you posted. Thanks for sharing and surprised we've not seen more responses.

[mghcal]

reverse

[pfrost]

I agree with Mike. It has that Beverly Craft feel.

[Kimo]

Thanks Mike and pfrost! In looking at those Beverly Craft examples see that is what mine is, especially the first one Mike shows which is identical.

 

The little palm tree logo in front of the word STERLING on a couple of the ones shown makes me wonder if the odd design around the lower border of the central area on the back that I was calling "antlers" might be two palm trees in some other kind of Beverly Craft hallmark. Maybe not, but it makes me wonder.

[5thwingmarty]

The details of the Great Seal on the front of all the wings in this post are completely different that those on my Beverlycraft Aircrew wing. My wing looks like the one posted on Bob's ww2wings website which has a narrow circle around the nine stars at the top, much more pointed tail feathers, and four very clear arrows. The outer circle around the seal is also very wide and flat faced on my wing, and the horizontal lines are very fine and distinct.

 

This isn't to say that Beverlycraft didn't make a completely different Aircrew wing as well. Their Bombardier wings are known to have a number of different versions or applied bomb details.

[5thwingmarty]

I just picked this wing up, and at first thought I might have acquired Kimo's wing, but closer evaluation shows mine is just very similar.  It has the remnants of a sterling mark on the right side and also has the remnants of a Moody Bothers mark on the left side.

 

[5thwingmarty]

I should have noted that my wing has no appearance of being a two-piece wing.  The aircrew center device was stamped along with the rest of the wing.

[Tesla]

Very nice Moody Brothers Marty!

[5thwingmarty]

Thanks Tesla.  I am curious if Kimo's wing is really a two-piece wing, as mine is definitely not.  I have asked Tod R. if his Moody bombardier is a one- two- or three-piece wing.  I presume it is at least a two-piece like the Moody gunners, but some of the manufacturers made one-piece bomb on target devices that they attached to base wings, and others (like Beverlycraft) had bombs attached to targets attached to base wings.

 

I tried to do a little more research on Moody Bros. and found one other article that mentioned them.  It was in a jewelry magazine and I believe it was dated 1929, so they were around for quite a while.  The only items I have found with their company name on them are wings, military bracelets and military rings but the article I found was discussing a diamond ring, so they were not just a military insignia maker.

[Tesla]

I had a Moody aircrew that was marked with their name and one that was marked Sterling and both were one piece wings.  I really like the detailed feathering.   You are right; Tod is the best one to talk with about Moody Brothers.