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Here is a link to an auction of a non-marked Firmin TO wing https://www.ima-usa.com/products/original-u-s-wwii-aaf-scarce-british-made-sterling-silver-technical-observer-wings-attributed-to-firmin-pinback?variant=43319751966789

For a while now I have collected a series of British-made wings with a particular, large, round shoulder pattern. It has all the hallmarks of being British design and manufacture being silver washed brass with a bent hinged pin held by a hollow tube. The retainer is a simple wire C catch. Example of the pilot and service pilot shown below. So far I have found in addition to these an observer, navigator, bombardier and aircrew rate. There are probably more.

These British-made wings are and remain a minefield. Too many questions with this one; it looks good, but on the other hand...you never know! I would look for another one from a different maker that you're sure is a good, period-produced wing. But that's just me.😁😁

This is one of my favorite pictures. This photo was taken in France, probably late in the war or just after the end of the war. I suspect that these four (pilots with their observers) had been deloused and that is why they are bald! This photo came from the album of Lt Sloan of the 268th Aerosquadron. He was a late arrival. If I had to guess, the uniforms they arrived in had to be burned, as I suspect that they all had some serious cases of cooties. If they had to be shaved.... I suspect all their clothes had been destroyed as well. Unless they had lost a bet! LOL But here we have a case of (more than likely) theater-made replacement wings. Note the wing on the pilot to the far right (I think this is Lt Sloan) looks like the wing style from above. It also (kind of) shows what Chris was talking about regarding the different style of uniform construction with the "balloon pockets and longer skirts. While its not really possible to tell, but the observer badges look to be British-made and I could argue that maybe the pilot wings show French-made bullion characteristics. There is a prewar photo of Lt Sloan wearing what I believe is the classic WWI MC Lilly type bullion wing. Like Chris said... its complex.

I’ve recently been fortunate to add several great Kentucky 101st items to my collection, and thought I’d start by sharing this uniform to an incredibly tiny and rare unit of the 101st Airborne from a vet who lost his eye during Market Garden. You can find his Full Article Here: https://www.36thdivisionarchive.com/pa-eto-foster ------------------------------------- Paul Foster grew up with a single mother after his father passed away while he was a baby, spending his youth helping her run a boarding house for railroad workers passing through Louisville, Kentucky, while living in the city’s Portland neighborhood. He eventually started his own career with Louisville Gas & Electric, married, and had his first son before receiving his draft notice in November 1942. After basic, he went to Fort Bragg and was assigned to the I&R Platoon, HQ Company, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division as a glider rider and recon scout. He traveled with the 401st to England, where he spent all his months training for the eventual invasion of France with them. In March 1944, however, the 401st was split in half, with one battalion going to the 82nd AB and the other becoming the 3rd Battalion of the 327th GIR. With little need for a regimental headquarters, General Taylor had other plans. The 101st did not have an organic recon unit, as Army doctrine believed airborne units would not be in combat long enough to need one. Nevertheless, they unofficially formed the Division Recon Platoon in Division HQ sometime in early 1943. When the Platoon came to England, the roughly 30-ish men were split up among the division glider units for further training. When the 401st was split, rather than waste the regimental HQ, it was decided that the Recon Platoon would transfer to HQ/401 and merge with men of the regimental I&R Platoon to form a bolstered Division Recon Platoon. It was here that Paul and around ten other men became official members of Division Recon. On June 6, 1944, the Recon Platoon unloaded its 46 men, 10 jeeps, and six motorcycles at Tare Green on Utah Beach off of LST-50. The platoon’s orders were to immediately race inland, make contact with division HQ, and begin patrolling along the bridges, rivers, and borders of the division area of operations to determine the location, disposition, strength, and intention of German troops. They did so, but often found themselves caught up supporting various other operations of the division. On June 10, for example, Recon Platoon troops helped Colonel Robert Cole’s charge of 3/502 towards Carentan. Two days later, Recon Platoon used their armed jeeps to support the assault of the 327th GIR into Carentan. The Platoon lost several men during the Normandy campaign, big losses for a small platoon, but nevertheless played a critical role as the division’s eyes and ears until they went back to England in July. In August 1944, Paul was promoted to Recon Squad Leader, now commanding two other men and a jeep for Operation Market Garden. Recon Platoon was in the first wave of gliders, Serial A-30, with fifteen gliders full of men and jeeps. Tragically, two went down in England, one over the channel, and three more behind enemy lines. Paul and the remaining nine landed at LZ W and immediately began their mission to scout out Son, St. Oedenrode, Veghel, and Eindhoven. Recon Platoon seems to have been the first unit to report to division that the bridge at Son had been destroyed. For the first week of Market Garden, Paul and Recon Platoon performed constant scouting missions, escorts for important division personnel (including General Taylor), and whatever odd missions that the General and division needed them to do. Several times this found Recon Platoon men running right into German infantry or tanks, and many times running through enemy territory on their own to deliver messages between units of the division and British forces. On September 24, 1944, German Fallschirmjager cut “Hell’s Highway,” forming a blockade in the middle of the division and closing the main road they were meant to protect. The next morning, the 506th spearheaded a pincer assault on the roadblock southward from Veghel while the 502nd pushed northward. Paul and Recon Platoon ran missions throughout the day to help coordinate the attacks and bring messages back and forth to the split forces. On one of these missions, an artillery round landed right next to Paul. Shrapnel pierced his neck, shoulder, and head, with the explosion causing severe lacerations, burns, deafness, paralysis, and, tragically, the loss of his left eye. Severely incapacitated, medics of the 506th evacuated him to an aid station, and he was sent on to England for further treatment as soon as possible. Paul remained in England recovering from his wounds for several months, leaving for the United States in December 1944 where he transferred to a hospital in Utah. By February 1945, Recon Platoon knew he was not coming back and officially removed him from their rolls. He gradually regained his strength, albeit with a new glass eye and permanent disfigurement to the left side of his face. By June of 1945 he was able to make a trip back to Louisville to see his family and friends, but his 489-day journey of healing did not come to a close until January of 1946, where he was finally discharged from the Army out of Dibble General Hospital in California. He returned to Louisville and tried to melt back into civilian life, but experienced some rough years after the war. His first marriage fell apart, and a second did as well. He even made the local news after he got caught up in a pretty bad bar fight which sent him to the hospital after supposedly calling a man “abusive names.” Nevertheless, he kept up at his work and became an excellent surveyor for a number of Louisville construction companies, and was well beloved by those who remained of his mother’s family, including a surviving cousin who recalled him as “generous and kind and exceptionally smart” with a great spirit towards all who knew him. He was killed in a car accident in 1979, and remains buried in Louisville’s Resthaven Cemetery. ------------------------------------- I was very excited to finally add a local Airborne trooper to the collection, and was quite pleased at his taste in insignia. On the jacket are British made Glider Wings and CIB, with a British star on the wings to represent his landing in Market Garden. The uniform also has some British-made overseas stripes and a really nice Type 7 101st patch. Enjoy!

After a hiatus in wing collecting for a while, I’m hoping I’m on a roll with this latest purchase after the Navajos a couple of weeks back. Apologies for the pictures - they are the vendor’s - but it seems to be a legit unmarked WW2 period British-made badge, which looks similar to one on Bob’s site. The vendor confidently listed it as a copy and priced it accordingly, but I’m not sure they are. Thoughts welcome!

Recent pickup in a vintage clothing store. Tunic has lost the BoS, CIB, jump wings, and one row of medal ribbons but everything else remains intact. US-made 18AB Corps patch, US and 2lt rank bars but everything else is British-made, including the pathfinder patch, overseas bars, Silver Star ribbon. Tunic is British-made by 'Co-Mar Registered tailored', with the 'Approved C-in-C' patch for ETO inside pocket. British barathea cloth, with British buttons by Gaunt. The officer has customised his tunic by adding an OD plastic, rather than brass buckle. My guess is that the tunic would have been made around 1944 as all patches are machine sewn by the tailor at the time the tunic was made, any later than that and I'd probably expect an Ike-type jacket. If so, then the 18 month overseas bars would take us to 1943 as start of overseas service, which I am guessing might mean 82AB before transferring to 18AB corps. Similarly, with 18 months and only a 2Lt, I might guess that he was an NCO before being promoted to officer when his tunic was likely tailored. Laundry tag appears to be 'P-1288'. I ran a check that showed around 30 possible names, but with no further info that could help pinpoint the soldier. What are my chances for being able to ID this tunic ? All leads and thoughts appreciated. C6EE5A19-4372-47AB-9ECD-63C0EE8AEE92.heic F85C2D65-8BB1-45A6-95FE-083CA96A3619_1_201_a.heic 45273CDB-105E-4299-8182-F3D67AF1BEBC_1_201_a.heic 5C1F9F59-F7F8-4920-8A21-BC63F9D0D67F_1_201_a.heic

John, I have what I believe is an authentic, full-size British-made bullion USAAF Command Pilot wing, which has a modestly different feather and wing design. However, it appears to have been constructed in a near identical manner, with materials matching those used to make your fine example! I suspect our two bullion wings MAY have been produced in the same British shop?

I haven't seen this one posted here yet: I believe this Dallas-type badge is related to recent CAD fakes of the various British-made badges. Like those, the feathering is very precise and perfectly symmetrical--both wings are exact mirror images of each other. The parts all appear to be die struck. Note that the gold-color US does appear to be separately applied. It is unknown if the materials used are sterling silver and gold or some other content. Reasonably effective when seen from a short distance, like the Angus & Coote CAD fakes, the better-than-original precision of the details actually serves to indict this badge. Caveat emptor. Chris

This is a very nice autobiographical wing worn by Harold "Dutch" Erbe (IIRC he flew with the 93rd and 393rd Bomb Squadrons). I got this wing directly from Dutch and his daughter (Carol Erbe had founded the B24 forum many years ago). They knew I was a collector and kindly gave me this wing. Mr. Erbe recalled being excited about getting one of the "new-fangled" gunner wings with the bullet, but when he was in England, no one knew really exactly what they would look like, so he picked up this one in England with the "G" in the middle. He thought that the local English tailors assumed that the gunner wings used by the USAAF would be similar to the RAF style. You do see variations of this bullion style wing with "R", "E", "G", and "AG" (see the photo above). On the B24 forum, it was nice because there were guys from the ETO, MTO, and PTO, and each had their own recollections about day to day life. But for the guys in England, when I asked about wearing things (like squadron patches, wings etc), they mostly said it sort of depended on the squadron or group leadership. One guy said he wouldn't be caught dead wearing a squadron patch on his A2, while another guy had as many patches on his jacket as he thought the CO would let him get away with. The guys in the Pacific were often happy just to have a uniform that didn't have huge holes in them. However, most of the guys didn't recall any specific order or regulation, much less wearing a combat patch, but some did recall the British-made wings were nice because the blue background set them off against the uniform. On the other hand, more than a few said that during most of 1943 and 1944, the bomber crews flying into Europe were looking at close to 100% chance of getting KIA, WIA, MIA, or being made a POW before finishing their 25 missions (later 35 then 50). If you look at photos of guys during that time (say informal pictures of the guys at everyday tasks), it is very rare to find them wearing combat mission patches (although you do see them wearing wings). I would argue that most guys seen with those blue patches were photographed in more formal settings, likely late or after the war. Most of the pictures I have seen (many posted above) are portraits or more formal pictures (say, getting medals, etc). Dutch wasn't 100% sure, but he thinks he had this wing sewn on one of his "good uniforms" that he wore home (he said he never wore it in combat whilst flying missions). My own suspicion is that these patches were worn late or after the war on the uniforms of the guys going home (the ones with all the bullion and ribbons and other "bling". I doubt that they were EVER worn by the guys going into combat, as the last thing you wanted to do was get shot down and picked up by the Germans with one of those things on your uniform highlighting that you were "specially trained" (basically, they would have been seen as a "send me to the Gestapo for "enhanced treatment" cards), I also asked some of the fellows about what it was like to go out on leave. Most said that it wasn't all that glamorous. Everything in England was rationed or in short supply. The local girls were pretty predatory (they had been at war since 1939is), and London and other areas were still getting bombed. The aircrews were very busy most of the time anyway. New, replacement crews had to undergo training and weren't likely to be let out on leave willy-nilly. Guys flying combat were looking at a mission every few days, depending on weather and most of them weren't coming back. The idea that they could all be-bop down to London on a Friday after giving the Germans a good beating, get some tailored uniforms and then hit the bars to pick up on girls was not really something they were interested in doing (even if they could). One guy told me that up until D-Day, there was a fair amount of GIs around, but after that, the numbers of Americans went down as the war shifted deeper into France. He also said that the girls didn't care what you pinned on your uniform. Many of them had seen and heard it all already (and he said the best way to pick up a girl was with chocolate, cigarettes, or silk stockings, not wings), so he felt that they were the only ones who would get upset about a "poser" wearing unearned wings would the guys who actually earned them. To make this post even longer, England was well known for its textile industry, even during the war. They would use a woven felt-like woolen fabric (called melton) to back their wings, patches, and uniforms. If you collect RAF and other commonwealth wings, you would be familiar with this material. Its NOT just a wool felt patch.

These four WWII era British-made “letter” wings don’t fully comply with the idea that Engineer and Radio specific badges were worn only in the CBI theater late in the war. I was under the opinion that only the U.K. based 8th and 9th Air Force combat flight crews mounted their wings on rectangles of blue? Is it possible the unofficial “E” and “R” letter wings may have originated late in the European Theater before migrating to the South Pacific?

I acquired these wings a week or so ago and I intend to sell them but I am a little on the fence about them so I wanted to see what others thought! Are these original period wings ? They look very nice! Just hope someone has some info on them!

Here's a full size British-made WWII era U.S.A.A.F. Glider Pilot wing on blue backing which might be of interest to some of you. Finding period bullion examples in good condition really stimulates my collecting interests! Please feel free to share images of your bullion Glider Pilot badges on this thread as well...

Another one of these attached "G" glider pilot wing has popped up for sale on eBay. This time it is supposedly a WW2 era British made US glider pilot wing manufactured by Ludlow London. I'm aware that there were legitimate applied "G" glider pilot wings but they have to be pretty scarce and there have just seems to be too many of these popping up for sale lately. The one that started off this post eventually sold for $357.00 so a couple of collectors felt it was a genuine WW2 glider pilot wing. https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-Army-AC-BRITISH-made-glider-pilot-wings-tunic-size-pin-back-Ludlow/303733738639?hash=item46b7f10c8f:g:d0MAAOSwK9lfjhrG

World War One Weekly Wing #40 English Made WW1 Wing Description Reserve Military Aviator Manufacture. A finely embroidered badge, almost certainly made in England. Overall, the badge incorporates at least five different types of bullion. The wings have some design characteristics in common with the quintessential American-made World War One wing, specifically each wing characterized by a first row of feathers picked out individually in smooth silver bullion, surmounted by a two-tier shoulder of individual feathers constructed with rachis of faceted silver bullion and, perhaps uncommonly in this example, the vane of accenting smooth gold bullion. There is no contrasting black thread. Unlike most of its American-made cousins, on this British-made example, there is no space between the wings and shield. The shield is mostly rectangular with almost no flair. The top has three fairly conservative points and the bottom has just enough of a rounded point to establish a shield shape. The chief contains 13 small "stars" executed with faceted bullion in an x-configuration affixed atop a field of horizontal rows of smooth silver bullion. Giving the appearance of “stripes,” the field portion consists of three smooth and two faceted silver bullion alternating vertical columns. The chief and field portion are separated by a single, fine bullion wire coil. The top half of each wing is bordered by fine coiled bullion wire. The perimeter of the shield consists of two different bullion wire coils; one very fine, one just a hair more thick. Both wings and especially the shield are thickly padded. The US is made of smooth gold bullion coils, in a rope configuration, and with no apparent serifs or periods. Mountings. The RMA badge is still sewn to its Oxford tailored uniform. It would require removing the badge from the uniform to determine if there is any sort of a maker's label on the back. Background It was relatively easy to research the original owner of this badge--a Salmson pilot in the 1st Aero Squadron and 3rd Air Instruction Center at Issodun in France. However, with respect to origin of the badge itself; this particular wing was difficult to nail down. Turn of the last century bullion makers rarely marked their wares, leaving researchers and collectors only able to speculate as to their origins. I know of one other similar badge I believe may also have been made by Adamson and Co. Some tailors could justify in-house bullion embroiderers. Others would out-source embroidery work from specialty firms. The uniform the wing is affixed upon was tailored by Adamson and Co of 102-103 High Street in Oxford. Adamson and Co occupied the entire corner of the posh High Street location from 1891-1964. Given British military dress-uniform and courtly customs including much metallic embroidery, and a prominent location near Oxford University, Adamson and Co was a, high-end, bespoke tailor certainly large enough to have in-house bullion work. Adamson and Co's 102-103 High St, Oxford location today The badge itself is really quite lovely. There are at 5-6 different types of bullion interworked in its design and the smooth bullion still retains quite a bit of sheen (as can be seen in the photograph). Over 100 years old, the badge still remains quite handsome. When new, it must have been stunning.

Dominique, you're on a roll with all of those nice British-made wings you've been adding to your collection!

This is one that is sort of interesting. It is white silk (and I believe it is also British-made). It could be RFC/RAF or it could be US worn. This silk thread wing is very similar to other bullion wings that you sometimes see being worn. With the high shoulder over the "O". There is also an example of this wing as a bullion example that could also be British-made RFC (mess dress) or US observer wing. In this photo, you can see that these two observers are wearing "o" wings, with one having the "Brit-style" wing.

Once again the Cleburne, TX show was good for me! I picked up a nice uniform for a Reserve Military Aviator 1st Lieutenant assigned to the 3rd Air Park: British-made bullion RMA badge. The wing badge is deeply padded, with at least five different types of bullion and a double border around the shield. I especially like the gold bullion highlights in the shoulders! The uniform has wonderful European-made collar insignia (probably French), velvet 3rd Air Park shoulder sleeve insignia, bullion 1st Lieutenant Bars, 2 overseas chevrons, honorable discharge chevron and Interallied Victory Medal ribbon with one bronze star. Close inspection of the photo on the right shows the pilot appears to be wearing this particular uniform. The uniform is a larger size and he was evidently fairly tall. The only negative is the dime-sized tear you can see in one sleeve. The uniform was tailored on "Sackville Row" in Piccadilly London The uniform also came with his pants, an issue-type flight helmet, and a Sam Browne belt. The 3rd Air Park was a small organization but unfortunately the name written in the jacket does not seem to match any name on the unit roster in Gorrell. The uniform itself doesn't really show any signs of being put-together though. He may have been a late arrival? A number of the photographs that came with the uniform mention locations in occupied Germany as well. At any rate, I am pleased. Chris

This patch was sold to a major collector for only a few hundred dollars back in the late 1970s - 1980s. It was sold with a note that read "Worn by Lt. Waverly W. Wray of team that stopped the Hermann Goring Panzer Div. in Sicily." As to veracity, what is important to realize is that the note had no reference to Wray's actions in Ste.-Mere-Eglise, for which he is justly renowned and which won him a DSC! There was no internet back then and very few people had access to the details of Wray's amazing career. Also, the relatively low selling price back them confirms the fact that no seller "touting" was going on --- had more about Wray been known by the seller he would have priced it at least at a $1,500+, even back then. As many of you are aware, items from this old collection are some of the most rare and fabulous patches ever made --- the collector spared no expense. I see no reason to doubt the attribution but I cannot and do not guarantee it --- circumstantially, I believe it is 100% correct. HOWEVER, I am pricing this as if the background information did not exist. If Wray were alive to confirm it, the asking price would be double! If you buy it, buy it simply as the extremely rare patch it already is --- one of the rarest theater-made airborne patches ever found from an incredibly decorated and important fighting unit. Below see excerpts some of the online write-ups about Lt. Wray. Wray's heroic efforts in Sicily pale next to these documented exploits: This from The Historical Army Foundation. In the days after 6 June, the 505th RCT defended the town of Ste-Mère-Église against German armor and infantry assaults while near constant bombardment by German artillery and mortars. During this time, the regiment’s extensive antitank training (a focus during their time in Ireland and England), began to pay off. Despite assaults by German tanks and self-propelled guns, the paratroopers responded with bazookas, 57mm antitank guns, and British-made Gammon grenades, knocking out several vehicles on the causeway leading to the town. German counterattacks, which threatened Utah Beach, were halted by the tenacious paratroopers and a healthy dose of luck. The headquarters of the German 1st Battalion, 1058th Grenadier Regiment, leading the attacks, was eliminated when 1st Lieutenant Waverly W. Wray of Company D, 505th PIR, stumbled upon the enemy command post (CP) while scouting the hedgerows around Ste-Mère-Église. In a brief firefight, Wray killed all eight of the German staff officers in the CP. For his actions in Normandy, he would later be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. And this superb detailed narrative about Lt. Wray from The Association of the United States Army: The strength of the 82nd Airborne Division lay in the junior officers and NCOs who carried the war to the enemy. During the opening hours of D-Day—June 6, 1944—three All-American lieutenants personified the fighting spirit of Ridgway’s paratroopers and made a significant contribution to the Allied success. Their names were John Dolan, Turner Turnbull and Waverly Wray. Collectively, they personified Ridgway’s emphasis on frontline leadership, which Ridgway defined as “the art of imposing one’s will upon others in such a manner as to command their implicit obedience, their utmost confidence, their profound respect, and their wholehearted cooperation.” 505th’s One-Man Army As dawn broke on June 7, the beleaguered paratroopers at Sainte Mère-Eglise awaited another attack from the Germans. Since the principal threat to Sainte Mère-Eglise was developing north of the village, Vandervoort focused his efforts in that direction. On the northwest side of the town, Vandervoort’s Company D, the same company to which Turnbull belonged, decided to take matters into their own hands. Waverly Wray, Company D’s executive officer, was sure that the German counterattack was imminent. Wray prided himself as a hunter and a crack shot. He once boasted that he never missed a shot that he didn’t mean to. He was in his early 20s, extremely physically fit and mentally alert. One observer noted that Wray possessed the “combat ‘sixth sense’ of the true warrior—an indefinable intuition, which warns of danger before it appears.” Wray began June 7 by supporting Company D’s defense against a determined attack by two reinforced German battalions. The fighting was ferocious. When an enemy machine gun was inflicting a number of casualties, Wray crawled in front of his lines, destroyed the position with grenades and killed the surviving members of the crew with rifle fire. He then occupied the position and remained in close contact with the enemy until he saw a German officer running toward another machine-gun emplacement. Wray shot and killed the officer and then crawled toward the second emplacement, still under direct fire. He destroyed the crew with hand grenades and rifle fire and returned to his platoon. Wray’s one-man counterattack killed 15 enemy soldiers. After resupplying his men, Wray reported to Vandervoort and explained the situation confronting Company D. Vandervoort ordered Wray to return to company headquarters and launch a spoiling attack. Wray prepared D Company for the assault and conveyed Vandervoort’s orders to his wounded commander. Wray then decided to conduct a personal reconnaissance in order to determine the size of the enemy force and to formulate a plan of attack. Armed with his M-1, a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, a .38 revolver and as many hand grenades as he could carry, Wray crawled along the hedgerows, venturing beyond Sainte Mère-Eglise. Eventually, he heard several German soldiers talking on the other side of the hedgerow. Stepping up and looking over the earthen embankment, he saw eight Germans in a sunken lane gathered around a radio. Unbeknownst to Wray, he had stumbled into the battalion command group of the 1st Battalion, 1058th Grenadier Regiment, just as they were preparing to attack the Americans. Without hesitation, Wray burst from the hedgerow and demanded that the Germans surrender. Seven officers instinctively raised their hands, but the eighth reached for his pistol. Wray shot the man instantly. At the same time, two enemy soldiers in a slit trench about 100 yards away fired at Wray. One bullet tore off part of his right ear. Historian Stephen Ambrose described what happened next. Ignoring the return fire, “Wray dropped to his knee and began shooting the other seven officers, one at a time, as they attempted to run away. When he had used up his clip, Wray jumped into a ditch, put another clip into his M-1, and dropped the German soldiers with the Schmeissers with one shot each.” Watching Wray as he completed his reconnaissance, one soldier noticed, “The bullet had struck his steel helmet almost dead center at the front rim. A quarter of an inch lower and it would certainly have gone into his forehead. Instead, the bullet was deflected and struck the hinge of his chin strap and clipped a piece of Lieutenant Wray’s ear, leaving his face, neck, shoulder, and part of his uniform covered with blood.” Returning to company headquarters, Wray collected more grenades and led his men in a counterattack. After finding the German battalion deployed in a sunken lane bordering one of the hedgerows, Wray positioned the platoon’s 60 mm mortar and a .30-caliber machine gun to fire down the lane into the enemy’s left flank. Now leaderless because of Wray’s heroics, the Germans fled northward. By midmorning, the German counterattack was halted and Sainte Mère-Eglise was secure. KIN4.JPG The next day, Wray and Vandervoort returned to the spot where Wray had killed the German officers. On examining the corpses, Vandervoort noted that Wray had killed each officer with a single shot in the head. Looking at Wray’s field jacket and his ear, he remarked, “They’ve been getting kind of close to you, haven’t they, Waverly?” Wray replied, “Not as close as I’ve been getting to them, Suh!” Company D’s 1st Sgt. John Rabig overheard the exchange and turned to Vandervoort and said, “Colonel, aren’t you glad Waverly’s on our side?” About three months later, Wray was killed in action near Nijmegen, Holland, while covering his company’s movement to the rear. As Wray raised his head over a railroad track embankment, a German sniper killed him with a single shot in the middle of his head. “The last I saw of him,” one trooper remembered, “he was headed for the Germans with a grenade in one hand and a tommy gun in the other.” In Retrospect Before the Normandy campaign was over, the 82nd Airborne Division paid a frightful cost among its junior officers. According to military historian Guy A. LoFaro, 71 percent of the 82nd’s Infantry first lieutenants and 65 percent of its Infantry second lieutenants became casualties. Of Dolan, Turnbull and Wray, only Dolan survived the war. Historian S.L.A. Marshall best captured the fighting spirit of the 82nd Airborne Division on D-Day: “Veterans who fought at Sainte Mère-Eglise recall it as an affair of blood and iron, filled with shock, suspense and crisis amid the constant threat of being overrun. [The town] was won and held in a series of small alley brawls, and wreaths of laurel cannot make them larger.” As the nation commemorates the 70th anniversary of D-Day, we cherish the memory of All-American Lieutenants John Dolan, Turner Turnbull and Waverly Wray, along with a host of junior warriors who spearheaded the invasion and liberated Europe. (Splendid write-up by Col. C.C. Kingseed, Ph.D.) Another narrative here: =========== I ship once a week. Please be patient, I'm movin' a bit slower each year. Post Office is often really pokey of late. Any overcharge on shipping will be refunded. I obey all laws and regulations. Please ask any questions before bidding. I will answer when able. Please be patient. Some of you know my background as a collector/dealer in historical Americana and high-end military memorabilia, particularly aviation-related. I was a major or the primary contributor to the following bibles of aviation collectibles: The Art of the Flight Jacket, Gear up!, American Flight Jackets, Silver Wings and Leather Jackets, Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens and other books about memorabilia including vintage clothing in many categories. Bid/Buy with confidence! (Books shown not included in lot.) I sell original items, ONLY!

I picked up these wings with some other AAF insignia some time ago. I presume they are British. Comments welcome.

I’ve just picked up this British-made 8th Air Force DUI. Would the stumpy wings on the emblem suggest this was relatively early manufacture or just a stylistic variation?

Hi, One of the more interesting novelties I have found collecting US wings. A Firmin-style, British-made US observer wing with a one-of-a-kind addition. A perfect replica of a Bell & Howell 16mm Filmo 70 camera. But it doesn't end there. The camera is also a locket with an image of a lovely girl at home. I have no idea who would have worn it or how they would have gotten away with it. But it is fantastic.

I looked up the bio you posted on George C. McDonald. Based on that, he's also missing a WW1 Victory Medal ribbon. But, for whatever reason, perhaps he just wore his wartime (WW2) US ribbons? I think he's the guy. His bio is just too close not to be - correct units (i.e., 8th AF and Strategic AF) and the exact 3 US decorations that are on this jacket. The lack of an Air Medal makes a stronger case in my mind for this being legit, as that is somewhat unusual for a WW2 Command Pilot. Even though he didn't apparently fly missions, most higher ranking pilots would find a way to get an AM - even Hap Arnold had one. If I was a uniform "put-together artist" I would have at least added an Air Medal to the jacket of a Command Pilot I was creating (and probably a DFC). When I first viewed this thread yesterday, I was skeptical. But after considering all the available info and what is (and isn't) on this jacket, I think it belonged to McDonald. However, there are some additional important things I'd also want to consider - what does the back of the wings look like? (i.e., hallmarks, clutch-back/pinback?) What kind of clutches on the US pins (flat face?) If all those check-out as wartime manufacture, I'd feel comfortable with this being legit. In answer to your question, the bottom row of ribbons are British-made. Top 2 US-made.

Great point, Matt. Most of my 8th AAF gunner jackets have one overseas bar or none at all, so while the four here are uncommon, it's not unheard of. I'll also add that for whatever reason, based on seeing other examples, the flight engineers wore aircrew wings with some regularity, more so than other gunner positions. Maybe that's related to their main role as being an engineer first / gunner second, but that's just a guess. I'm thinking that this jacket did have a set of 3" wings originally, because the blue backing is clearly for a larger set of wings, but we can only guess as to why the 2" ones are on there now. It's still an absolutely killer jacket with all of the British-made insignia on there.

They fake even British-Made pins, from actual silver, so yes. Think you need some opinions from some true jump wings collectors, so hopefully they will respond