USN/USMC Parachutist Wing Question...

[hink441]

Is it possible the numbers are assigned to an individual company for a specific insignia? Like an H&H USN Aviator pin might be have #307, and an H&H USN NFO wing might have #310 ??

 

Chris

[WPAFB]

I contacted the USMC QM and they have no clue nor an old list of the numbers. I have an EGA set with the markings 592 and they look like HH but do not have any manufacturers mark on them. Thank you for the additional numbers. Anyone else have any?

[TRR]

Bumped into this thread looking to date these before listing them. Lots of great information! Thought I would add a picture of the HH marked SER. 678 Para-Wings.

 

[TRR]

[Wharfmaster]

Another example.

[Wharfmaster]

Reverse

[Allan H.]

I think we owe some kudos to Bob Hudson for the post amount the re-introduction of the gold USMC parachute badge in the 1950's. For me, that sort of answers the question as to when these wings with the clutch fasteners would have started to appear. I tend to believe that these three digit numbers were used into the 1960's, and as I said periously, I've seen them on Assman made insignia. I have also encountered insignia with both a three digit code as well as a number letter code, so I would say that the USMC three digit codes were in use as the same time as the manufacturer's number letter code used by the army.

 

I think that the three digit HH wing posted by Erik (TRR) and the OEC (Officers' Equipment Co) wing posted by Wharf are both from the late 1950's wings, though I think that they could have been issued well into the Vietnam era and possibly beyond that. Collectors should remember that the army was still procuring issued insignia and badges executed in sterling silver well into the 1960's.

 

As an aside, while deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990-91, I awarded "Operator-S" bars to my soldiers who were operating specialty fuel handling equipment- 100 and 350 gpm pumps, filter seperators, and other eqipment. These bars are worn on the driver badge. Every single bar that we procured was Sterling silver marked (in raised lettering). I tell this story to illustrate that sterling silver insignia didn't simply disappear overnight in the post WWII era.

 

Allan

[CDWells]

On 4/6/2013 at 11:28 AM, hink441 said:

Is it possible the numbers are assigned to an individual company for a specific insignia? Like an H&H USN Aviator pin might be have #307, and an H&H USN NFO wing might have #310 ??

 

Chris

I came here curious about the USMC QM series, while researching IOH numbers, and came to the same conclusion. There is an easy way to test it. Compile a list of the numbers with the maker and the object found on and look for a pattern. If there are too many examples of cross numbering, then it isn't based on the item. I think it is. I think that numbers were issued as a company got a specific item or type approved. The more things they produced, the more numbers they had. It probably functioned as a control reference number. It told the inspector what to use as reference when accepting or rejecting stuff.

I'm going to start a thread, I think. I don't know of any MC items in my collection that have them, so I'll have to ask people for their examples, but it is a theory worth testing.

I also wonder if the first number was a specific category, like rank insignia, qualification badges, etc. That could explain such a wide range of numbers. Some were never issued. I'm also wondering if they were assigned for more than metal pieces. Could some of these gaps cover uniforms or covers, etc? I love a good mystery.

[Billyh]

Thought I would just add these wings with attached EGA, by Urschel Tool co.

Anyone have an idea when that company manufactured badges?

Billyh

[Billyh]

Here are some SER 678 Marine wings I Have.

Billy

[Brig]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:48 AM, Billyh said:

Thought I would just add these wings with attached EGA, by Urschel Tool co.

Anyone have an idea when that company manufactured badges?

Billyh

 

This is a novelty badge that would have been sold at places such as Saigon Sam's. Likely still are, given its nature as a surplus hub.

[Billyh]

Thanks Brig. I knew it wasn't issue when I bought it, I just liked it.

I posted it here because Tonomachi had posted some similar ones early in the thread.

So did UTC make issue badges that were converted? by someone else, or just this kind of thing?

I take it Saigon Sam is not a Vietnam store.

[Brig]

No, it's a surplus store outside of Camp Lejeune. At their height they had 3 locations in Jacksonville, and I think they may have had a location or two near Fort Bragg. They've been around for probably 40 or 50 years. Also called "Saigon Scams" because of their ridiculous prices targeting Marines who would rather buy replacement gear than admit to their commands they lost something and do the paperwork.