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Glider Infantry Wings


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I'm going to respond from the gut rather than the brain, and my gut rarely fails me. It looks cast to me rather than die struck. Jack

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It is an original piece and one of the harder to find glider trooper wings. There is another slight variation where a different type of egg shaped catch was used. The maker to my knowledge has never been identified and there is a paratrooper wing with this same flat profile that was probably made by the same manufacture.

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I'm going to respond from the gut rather than the brain, and my gut rarely fails me. It looks cast to me rather than die struck. Jack

 

I'm going to disagree whole-heartedly. The wing is undoubtedly die struck and is 100% original.

 

As it has been stated previously, this wing variant is a tough one to find. They are most often found in the possession of 327th GIR veterans, but other 101st A/B units probably got their hands on some of them. There are actually two variations of this wing- this one is the one that is far more common as you can see the pronounced "lean" to the glider. You can occasionally find them where the glider itself is almost straight.

 

Great pick up.

 

Allan

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Thanks for the information guys!

 

I'd never seen this one before and couldn't find another example online. If anyone has the 2nd variation please post it.

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There might have been a clutch back version of this badge but I also believe there has been a more current re-strike of this badge. The worn ones look like legitimate period pieces but I don't like the look of the last one with the STERLING mark being stamped into the metal instead of raised letters like all the others.

 

 

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Another worn clutch back variation and what I feel is a re-strike post war piece. I just realized that this is the same piece in a different photograph. You wonder if the pin back was removed and the clutch back added? Maybe so it was easier to pin on the uniform?

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Here is one just like your piece in post #1 but someone has added the stars and invasion arrowhead. You just never know about these and you can't do a close examination with only a photograph. You never know when these were added by that I mean they could have been added a few years ago in an attempt to increase the value of the piece. My guess is that they were glued on as I see no soldering nor holes punched through like some legitimate pieces were made.

 

 

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Nice wings, thanks for posting them Tonomachi! I noticed on my wing (post #2), the back pin wire is much thinner and the catch is smaller compared with the standard troop glider and jump wings. It wouldn't take much for it to get broken.

Any idea how late this pattern was used?

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Nice wings, thanks for posting them Tonomachi! I noticed on my wing (post #2), the back pin wire is much thinner and the catch is smaller compared with the standard troop glider and jump wings. It wouldn't take much for it to get broken.

Any idea how late this pattern was used?

My understanding is that these glider trooper wings weren't produced until 1944 and the Army closed their Glider Infantry School in 1948. So your wing along with all of the other WW2 era glider trooper wings were worn from 1944 until the last qualified glider trooper retired from the Army. Now these flat profile wings weren't as abundant as the sterling only hallmarked wings but I don't see why they wouldn't have been authorized for wear after the war. The major insignia companies continued to produce glider trooper wings after the war into the 1960s and afterwards as I've seen glider trooper wings that were hallmarked N.S. Meyer M-22, Vanguard V-21 and GEMSCO G-22. I have even seen a very worn subdued example hallmarked Ira Green G-23.

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