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WWI Bronze Naval Aviator's Wings marked BB&B Harold Child "Pat" Hammond


Jack's Son
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These Wings came from a small Antique Shop in Nebraska. The Wings are well worn, but they have a story to tell. On the reverse are Initials, and numbers that could lead us to the pilot.

 

If you will help, with all of your knowledge and resources, the Pilot may be identified.

 

Front View....

 

post-8213-1314416073.jpg post-8213-1314416085.jpg

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On the reserve are some letters scratched into the surface. The letters look like P, H or P ,(I ,X) or (X). PH or PIX.

 

Above the letters, (too small to read), are the letters or numbers..... 2 7< 2 3 or 2 K2 3. 27<23 or 2K23

The smaller figures are barly visible with a 20X glass.

 

post-8213-1314416817.jpg post-8213-1314416824.jpg

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On the reserve are some letters scratched into the surface. The letters look like P, H or P ,(I ,X) or (X). PH or PIX.

 

Above the letters, (too small to read), are the letters or numbers..... 2 7< 2 3 or 2 K2 3. 27<23 or 2K23

The smaller figures are barly visible with a 20X glass.

 

post-8213-1314416817.jpg post-8213-1314416824.jpg

Also, the numbers could be ..... 21223 or 21323

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Also, the numbers could be ..... 21223 or 21323

:think:

It's a mystery... and very confusing. You may need to call in a really big gun.

Say perhaps a good forensic expert?

post-4542-1314427083.jpg

post-4542-1314427313.jpg

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Beautiful wing and some interesting markes on the reverse!

 

Just from the initial "quick look" i.e. not to over think it it appears someone tried to scratch in a date in the standard format i.e. x/xx/xx

 

In my opinion it could be a date and initials.

 

Cheers

John

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Beautiful wings.

Ok, here's a guess. "PH" is Pearl Harbor and "ZK" is for Zeke. I don't know how that would add but it was a first thought.

OH, my friend.......there is some logic in your guesses.

Unfortunitly, this wing is from WWI !!

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OH, my friend.......there is some logic in your guesses.

Unfortunitly, this wing is from WWI !!

 

 

J.S., Can you give us a date range when these were worn? Or when these would have been issued/purchased by the original aviator?

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J.S., Can you give us a date range when these were worn? Or when these would have been issued/purchased by the original aviator?

Hi C,

From what I have garnered, the wing was the first issued to Naval Aviators circa 1917. They were made of bronze with a gold wash on them. Shortly after that, the new wing style was ordered by the Navy that incorporated a base metal of Sterling Silver with a gold finish.

My guess is that these wings would have been worn by early Naval Aviators, before the switch (1917-18).

 

Don't hold be to these exact dates, I'm still learning!! :thumbsup:

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teufelhunde.ret

Another thought, the two set of numbers may be his aviator number (first set) second set maybe his service number (USN, USMC or USCG). This can be verified by someone with a copy of "Contact" the book listing the first 3000 designated Naval Aviators.

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Another thought, the two set of numbers may be his aviator number (first set) second set maybe his service number (USN, USMC or USCG). This can be verified by someone with a copy of "Contact" the book listing the first 3000 designated Naval Aviators.

Yes D......This is a quote from an email I received today!

 

"That could stand for Naval Aviator #188 and if true then the pilot's name would be Roland Palmedo, nick name "Pal." He was Naval Aviator number 188 and had Navy Serial number 25244."

The serial number doesn't seem to fit however.

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Another thought, the two set of numbers may be his aviator number (first set) second set maybe his service number (USN, USMC or USCG). This can be verified by someone with a copy of "Contact" the book listing the first 3000 designated Naval Aviators.

 

I suspect that these wings are circa WWI, and are not absolutely of WWI vintage (~1916-1918). I do have the book Contact and did a quick look see. None of the more obvious combinations of numbers (ie 2723, 2423, 2123) matched aviator numbers and aviator in initials (ie. P. H.).

 

My thinking is that you may have either a USN serial number (or partial number) or maybe a date? (ie 2/12/23). In my experience, when someone does a quick and crude scratching on the back of the wings, it was to identify the owner in case the wing was stolen or lost. Why put a date on it? It wasn't intended for anything other than for the owner to be able to identify the wing as his own.

 

Patrick

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Patrick,

I have tried the logic that #118 would be the Aviator's number, and that 2/12/23 might be the date of graduation, but so far, that doesn't add up. Then we throw in the initials, and it really gets messed up.

 

Perhaps the initials have nothing to do with this equation! Then we are left with the numbers, and maybe that's what we should concentrate on. I think the aviator would have put his number on a wing first, then some other number that would be of importance to him. So my thinking goes back to Aviator number #188, but then we have to ask "of what relevance is that date" ?

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Patrick,

I have tried the logic that #118 would be the Aviator's number, and that 2/12/23 might be the date of graduation, but so far, that doesn't add up. Then we throw in the initials, and it really gets messed up.

 

Perhaps the initials have nothing to do with this equation! Then we are left with the numbers, and maybe that's what we should concentrate on. I think the aviator would have put his number on a wing first, then some other number that would be of importance to him. So my thinking goes back to Aviator number #188, but then we have to ask "of what relevance is that date" ?

 

Frankly, I doubt that it is aviator #188. I still think you are looking at a date there, not aviator number. Maybe a serial number? Maybe the random scratching of a bored pilot or his little kid?

 

I suspect you are better off going through all the aviators whose initials are "PH".

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If it turns out to be Rolando Palmedo, here's a photo. From Orange, New Jersey, attended Williams College.

post-4331-1314649012.jpg

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Could the PH be PIT... just thinking... If you had a list of all the navu pilots that graduated or has sols flights that year and then look at the letters maybe you may find a clue?

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