Posthumous and POW WWII US Navy Air Medals - Engraving Styles

[KASTAUFFER]

WWII US Navy Air Medals are hard to find and engraved Posthumous examples are even harder. The hardest to find are examples issued to the families of an MIA later found to be a POW.

 

These have been faked in the past but most would not fool the experienced eye. It is very hard to find a person in the year 2007 who posesses the skill to do hand engraving like they did 60+ years ago.

I will attempt to put the examples in order of when they were engraved. The dates engraved on the medals do not always indicate the date of issue.

WWII USN Air Medals are normally engraved in the following fashion

ENLISTED MEN

NAME/ RANK / USN or USNR / Date of Action

OFFICERS

RANK / NAME / USN or USNR / Date of Action

This first example was awarded in August 1944

[KASTAUFFER]

This example was awarded in Oct 1944. Notice the date range . This one was awarded for actions over a period of time .

 

[KASTAUFFER]

This example was awarded in Feb 1945 . Notice this example does not have a date. That is because his temporary citation did not contain the date of the action because of the circumstances. The date of the action was classified at the time this medal was issued.

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

This example was awarded in Sept 1945 . Notice the Rank is spelled out .

 

[KASTAUFFER]

This example was awarded in March 1946 . Beginning in 1946 , the engraving style was simplified and did not contain the fancy flourishes seen on earlier examples. This one was awarded for " Flight Strike " criteria and the data range of the flights is on the medal.

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

The latest award I have is also for the one for the earliest action. This medal was awarded in March 1947 for an action that took place in 1942. This example has a slot brooch, but has a 2 piece USN Planchet . AM's manufactured in 1946-47 has slot brooches and are more scarce than the wrap brooch USN AM's made during WWII .

 

If you have any examples of posthumous WWII USN Air Medals, I would love to see them added to this post.

 

 

[dustin]

very cool and no you do not see these very often

[KASTAUFFER]

Here is one that I used to own, now in the hands of our own Tom Lane . It was awarded in June 1945 . It is about the cleanest AM I have ever seen as far as condition is concerned.

 

[tarbridge]

 

Hi Kurt,
Here is one to a Pilot on the USS Essex.Robert

[KASTAUFFER]

Hi Kurt,

Here is one to a Pilot on the USS Essex.Robert

 

Nice medal Robert . It must have been awarded to his NOK in the 1946-47 time period based on the engraving.

 

Kurt

[JimMooney]

Great post lads... I'd really love a nice navy example for my collection so far I'v been unluck on bidding...they kind of hurt the pocket

[vicjoy1945]

Hey Kurt !!

 

Beautiful, exquisite medals !!

 

I have a handful of these myself and several U.S.M.C. examples to boot...these medals are very hard to come by nowadays days !!

 

Cudos !!

 

Vic

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Hey Kurt !!

 

Beautiful, exquisite medals !!

 

I have a handful of these myself and several U.S.M.C. examples to boot...these medals are very hard to come by nowadays days !!

 

Cudos !!

 

Vic

 

 

Post em dude! We would love to see them.

 

Welcome to the forum Vic,

 

Kurt

[vicjoy1945]

Post em dude! We would love to see them.

 

Welcome to the forum Vic,

 

Kurt

 

 

Hey Kurt !!

 

Thanks !!

 

Vic

[gallantryinaction]

I'm sure some of you saw this one on eBay recently. It was part of a FANTASTIC estate group that, thankfully, the seller kept intact (closing value was in the $7000-8000 range, if I remember correctly). With a citation date of December 1941, this has to be one of the earliest Navy Air Medal award dates; the medal was not even created until 1942.

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I'm sure some of you saw this one on eBay recently. It was part of a FANTASTIC estate group that, thankfully, the seller kept intact (closing value was in the $7000-8000 range, if I remember correctly). With a citation date of December 1941, this has to be one of the earliest Navy Air Medal award dates; the medal was not even created until 1942.

 

That was one of the finest WWII USN Air medal groups I have seen on Ebay. I was the #3 bidder

 

I have an Air Medal for Feb 1942 , but it was not issued until 1947 . This one would have been awarded in 1943 . The Green Box was made by the same manufacturer that made the purple boxes used for type I PH's . The box is exactly the same except it is green and has a black pad.

 

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Digging through my files I found this pic of another posthumous AM I used to own. This one is slightly different than the others I posted earlier.

 

His name is slightly curved with decorative devices . This one was presented to his NOK in late 1945 .

 

[KASTAUFFER]

Another AM presented in late 1944. Note the date only includes the month and year and does not mention the day. The temporary citiation did not list the actual day the action occured because it was considered " confidential " . Pacyna was KIA in an encounter with a U-Boat.

 

 

[erichjr]

Here is my two cents. Erich

[erichjr]

Wish i had the heart.

[KASTAUFFER]

Wish i had the heart.

 

Nice looking AM Erich. I have an Air Medal missing the Purple Heart too. Ya never know when it may turn up!

 

Kurt

[KASTAUFFER]

Here is a photo of a posthumous Air Medal awarded to LT JG Preston F. Keeton . Keeton survived his combat missions only to be killed in an aircraft accident in August 1945. His Air Medal was awarded posthumously in 1947 based on flight/strike criteria .

 

His AM was named with the wrong middile initial , but the " P " matches the same mistake on his citation .

 

This group also includes his WWII Presidential Memorial Accolade still in the tube, but I did not photograph it.

 

[tigerfan]

Here is an AM pair to a TBM pilot who flew with VT-7 off the USS Hancock.

 

[erichjr]

Here is an AM pair to a TBM pilot who flew with VT-7 off the USS Hancock.

Nice medal pair to one guy. Interesting that the styles of

engraving are different, one issued at a later date i imagine.

Erich.

[KASTAUFFER]

I already showed this medal in another thread but it needs to be part of this thread as well.

This is a Posthumous US Navy Air Medal / Good Conduct Medal group to an enlisted pilot ( NAP ) who was killed in October 1943. He was the Co- Pilot of a PBY. He did not earn a Purple Heart because the crash was determined to be an accident and not a combat action.

This is a fairly early example.