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Full Set of WWII AAF Wings


5thwingmarty
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I was finally able to pick up a WWII Balloon Observer at the SOS so I now have a representative example of each AAF aviation badge authorized in WWII. The instructor should really be in cloth, and the airship had been declared obsolete in 1940 but could still be worn. Someday the 2" Senior Observer and the cap/sweetheart-sized Airship will be replaced with 3" versions. I would also like to replace the Balloon Pilot with one from Link just to add another different manufacturer/style to the set and maybe an English-made Flight Nurse just to have a foreign-made wing in the set. I tried not to have more than one wing from a manufacturer and my Balloon Pilot looks like a Josten pattern, and the other two balloon wings are Amcraft pattern.

 

post-96854-0-64739300-1582520735.jpg

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Thanks for the comments everyone. If I had been able to get a larger, clearer image to post I was going to challenge the members to try and identify all the wing makers/patterns. I was able to include a few less common examples like an early pattern Service Pilot without the horizontal lines behind the S, an Aerial Gunner without the target and the Senior Service Pilot made by a jeweler modifying a standard Pilot wing.

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I figured out I could split the image and resize each half to post larger images. These should be large enough and clear enough to identify the maker/seller of each wing so let's have some fun and see who can identify the most.

 

post-96854-0-88841400-1582645416_thumb.jpg

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I figured out I could split the image and resize each half to post larger images. These should be large enough and clear enough to identify the maker/seller of each wing so let's have some fun and see who can identify the most.

 

 

1= command pilot, Josten?

2= glider Walter Lampl/Juarez

3= senior pilot (unknown unmarked pattern)

4= senior pilot Simco?

5 = liaison Beverly Craft

6 = pilot Blackinton/Luxenberg

7 = service pilot AMICO

8 = bombardier Blackinton/Luxenberg

9 = navigator Bell

10 = tech observer (unmarked or NS Meyer)

11 = flight surgeon (silver) LGB later Vanguard

12 = senior observer NS Meyer

13 = senior balloon pilot could be AMCRAFT or unmarked

14 = nurse Acid Test marked

15 = observer Norsid pattern but frequently unmarked

16 = balloon pilot (could be NS Meyer, Josten or unmarked)

17 = WASP Josten

18 = aerial gunner unmarked

19 = balloon observer (AMCRAFT or unmarked)

20 = aircrewman Gemsco

21 = flight engineer Orber pattern

22 = airship pilot unmarked

23 = civilian flight instructor/sweetheart pin AMICO

 

Some patterns could be hallmarked with different company names, or not marked at all.

 

Nice collection, well done.

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1. Josten

2. Juarez

3. unmarked but possibly norsid?

4. smilo

5. dodge

6. blackinton

7. amico

8. luxenberg

9. bell

10. horizontal sterling unknown

11. lgb

12. meyer

13. snowflake back unknown (amcraft?)

14. acid test sterling

15. norsid

16. unknown

17. josten

18. sterling unknown.

19. snowflake unknown

20. gemsco?

21. orber pattern but marked only sterling or perhaps black backed?

22. sterling unknown

23. h&h

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  • 2 years later...
5thwingmarty

With the acquisition of a few more wings, I decided to swap out some wings from the "Full Set" so that a few more makers could be represented, and a few less duplicates from the same makers were included.  I believe I now have most of the more common patterns and makers represented.  There are still a couple of rare makers in here, and some far less common ratings from some of the more common manufacturers.

 

I have added examples from Beverlycraft, Kinney and Moody, and switched examples from Balfour, Bell, Gemsco and Meyer.  There are still two wings from Amcraft, but they represent the two distinct patterns Amcraft had, and two government issue pattern wings I believe were made by Robbins.  The Meyer representative is also a restrike, but it is the only Airship wing I have to include.

 

RIMG2432.JPG

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5thwingmarty

So after I redid this last night, I realized I had one more option for a Command Pilot wing, which would free up the Pilot slot for a different maker example.  So now I have been able to add another company to the display, good ole Noble.

 

RIMG2437.JPG

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Stepping out of my box a bit. Marty's photo brings to mind a question I have regarding WW2 era wings:  Is there any company that can be said to have produced all ratings?

 

Chris

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5thwingmarty

To the best of my knowledge, no one company made all of the ratings unless you exclude WASP wings and Airship Pilot wings.  Then you have to get into the weeds as to whether some of the ratings like the Senior Service Pilot and Senior Observer can be definitively shown to have been "wing maker" made or whether they were just modified by jewelers.  I believe Meyer made everything (including Airship Pilot) except a wing used for a WASP class. 

 

I can't remember if Amico and Balfour made all the Balloon ratings, but I don't believe either of them had Airship Pilot wings.  I believe there was an early WASP class (43-W3?) that used Amico and Balfour wings as the base wings.  I know Balfour at least made the dies for some Balloon wings, but I don't know if they issued any.

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