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AAS Wings - Robbins


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Merry Christmas to all!!

 

With just a bit of down time, I'd thought I post my metal AAS Robbins wings collection. The little group includes a 3' is a clutch back along with two 2' & one 2.25' wings.

Hope you like 'em.

Please pardon the lousy, out of balance photos as I was in a great hurry with the Boss (wifey) staring at me. :0

Greg

 

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So would the three inch double screw back have had a cloth covered plate on it or is that just the way it was truly attached to the uniform?

 

Luftstalg1,

Depended on the desire of the individual pilot. I have seen the Robbins wing in one picture worn with a black background and on several other pictures where no background was worn. I spoke with several WW1 Aviators prior to their passing and all told me that the metal wings were not popular because they were viewed by the older pilots as the sign of a "newby". So almost all pilots went with the regulation bullion on black sew on wings.so they would be accepted into the fold. I guess that's why there are so few metal and metal on wool wings floating around. This practice of wearing or not wearing a black backing depending on the desire of the pilot was true with all the metal wings such as the Haltom, Shreve, Dibb, Linz etc. One aviator told me that when he graduated at Carlstrom Field the Robbins wing was issued to each graduating pilot. He also stated that they left the ceremony and went straight out and purchased the bullion wings. His Robbins wing is currently hanging on my wall in mint condition as the day it was issued.

Terry

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Merry Christmas to all!!

 

With just a bit of down time, I'd thought I post my metal AAS Robbins wings collection. The little group includes a 3' is a clutch back along with two 2' & one 2.25' wings.

Hope you like 'em.

Please pardon the lousy, out of balance photos as I was in a great hurry with the Boss (wifey) staring at me. :0

Greg

 

 

Greg,

Beautiful display of the Robbins wings, you have done exceptionally well in this area, keep up the good work.

Terry

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We all have our individual preferences but I've always thought the full-size RMA pilot wings in sterling silver made by Robbins was the finest looking WW1 badge ever made.

 

Here is a wonderful picture of 2/Lt. Robert A. Wellons, RMA wearing a Robbins badge on his uniform. Many years later I was able to buy the badge but our home was broken into back in 1980 and it, along with several other wings, was stolen.

 

Cliff

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We all have our individual preferences but I've always thought the full-size RMA pilot wings in sterling silver made by Robbins was the finest looking WW1 badge ever made.

 

Here is a wonderful picture of 2/Lt. Robert A. Wellons, RMA wearing a Robbins badge on his uniform. Many years later I was able to buy the badge but our home was broken into back in 1980 and it, along with several other wings, was stolen.

 

Cliff

 

Cliff,

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, is his wing backed by a black plate or is that a shadow around the edge? Very nice picture.

Hope you and the family have a very Merry Christmas.

 

Terry

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Cliff,

My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, is his wing backed by a black plate or is that a shadow around the edge? Very nice picture.

 

Hope you and the family have a very Merry Christmas.

 

Terry

 

Hi Terry,

 

It was a black felt back-piece.

 

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas too old friend.

 

Cliff :)

 

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Very nice set of wing badges Greg!

I really like the full size with the clean Robbins hallmark.

Thanks for posting these, as newer collectors can learn from these images.

 

Best, John

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Thanks guys, really appreciate it!

 

Cliff, thanks for posting the photo of the wings in wear!

 

Viewing photos of pieces in wear really show their places in history, which for me anyway, is a large part of why I collect.

 

Greg

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Greg,

 

You've posted some really nice Robbins Company examples. Thank you for taking the time to share them with us. And thank you Terry and Cliff for sharing your thoughts about these uniquely different badges.

 

To quote Duncan Campbell's book regarding this Robbins design, "...is an example of one manufacturer's effort to make a beautiful wing badge with no regard for regulations. The shield is improperly shaped, the wing outline bears no similarity to official drawings, and the stars in the shield are incised rather than embossed. However, the finished product is precisely what the maker set out to create, a very handsome wing badge."

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

Russ

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Speaking of Duncan Campbell, here's an image of two full-size Robbins Company variations which came from his collection. Both are pin-backs. The top badge is pierced and the bottom badge is solid. They're identical in size, but the "US" lettering is slightly different. The bottom badge is illustrated in Duncan's book as example #28.

 

Russ

 

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Here's a neat mid-1920's era studio photo with the Pilot wearing his WWI Robbins-made badge. Note there is no black felt backing behind the wing. Also note the bullion prop/wing on his overseas cap.

 

Russ

 

IMG_4597_crop.jpg

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Thanks so much Russ, terrific wings & photos, WoW!

 

Also, hadn't seen/noticed the difference in the solid & pieced style before, appreciate it a ton! Is one style harder to find than the other?

Greg

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Thanks so much Russ, terrific wings & photos, WoW!

 

Also, hadn't seen/noticed the difference in the solid & pieced style before, appreciate it a ton! Is one style harder to find than the other?

Greg

 

Hello Greg,

 

I haven't seen as many full size solid Robbins-made wings as I have the pierced variety...but keep in mind I'm just student of the hobby. Maybe Cliff or Terry can offer a better summation since they both have a wealth of experience with WWI badges.

 

Russ

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Patchcollector

Merry Christmas to all!!

 

With just a bit of down time, I'd thought I post my metal AAS Robbins wings collection. The little group includes a 3' is a clutch back along with two 2' & one 2.25' wings.

Hope you like 'em.

Please pardon the lousy, out of balance photos as I was in a great hurry with the Boss (wifey) staring at me. :0

Greg

 

 

Those are handsome wings.The large one is very cool,but my favorite is the center lower one,the feather details really stand out nicely.

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Very nice wings. It seems to me that there were a number of different very closely related wings in this pattern. I don't know if only Robbins made them, but I have at least two in my collection that were made by jewelers using very finely cut and chased plates of silver that were layered to give the feathering even more detail.

 

This pattern of wing was also used well after WWI for a variety of commercial airline companies. I have a very nice 1930's vintage gilt wing for North East Airlines (NEA) that used the WWI Robbin's style wing as its base.

 

The top WWI wing is (as Cliff likes to say) an "autobiographical" wing. It came from a pilot who actually flew combat missions with the 99th AS in France, including a crash landing in No-Man's-Land and having to spend a night in the trenches.

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Those are handsome wings.The large one is very cool,but my favorite is the center lower one,the feather details really stand out nicely.

Thanks! Here's a close -up of the 2.25' baby.

Greg

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The back of these wings. The two jeweler made pieces have both been altered to pin back sometime in their lifetime. Orriginally, these wings were screw backs. Because they are hand made wings, the two WWI patterns have small variations in feathering and detail.

 

The NEA wing was likely made by Robbins in the 30's using the old WWI dies. The enamel device in the center was added to the wing.

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