Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Share #1 Posted December 2, 2014 Hi Guys Thought I would share todays new wings. Both are just marked sterling but both nice .On the air crew wing it comes with a case not sure if its original to the wing but that's how it was stored for years.Any info would be awesome.Thanks and enjoy,Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted December 2, 2014 Rev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted December 2, 2014 Air crew front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted December 2, 2014 reverse aircrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wake1941 Posted December 2, 2014 Share #5 Posted December 2, 2014 The air crew wing is killer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #6 Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted December 2, 2014 Share #7 Posted December 2, 2014 And the H&H presentation box deserves a positive nod as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks Russ!! Fast question Please Russ do you think the wings are original to the box or is it a Marriage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted December 2, 2014 Share #9 Posted December 2, 2014 id say those wings have been with that presentation box a long time - very nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted December 2, 2014 They Have. Thanks for the post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted December 2, 2014 Share #11 Posted December 2, 2014 Thanks Russ!! Fast question Please Russ do you think the wings are original to the box or is it a Marriage Keep in mind the U.S. Army Air Force didn't want to display any particular favoritism to one jewelry manufacturer over another, hence the lack of hallmarks on 'Graduation' wings....and that would likely be true for presentation cases as well, if they were even used. I rather doubt the Air Crew wing was made by H&H. And since your presentation box is distinctively hallmarked, it would have most likely been a private purchase as well. H&H did indeed produce a few full size USAAF aerial badges with their winged eagle hallmark clearly visible on the back. It's very possible one of their hallmarked Army Pilot or Navy Aviator badges occupied that box originally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #12 Posted December 2, 2014 Russ So if I understand you correctly,the wing is private purchase put into the H-H case, but the case is original and could have had a H-H marked badge in it? Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted December 2, 2014 Share #13 Posted December 2, 2014 I apologize for my poor wording. Let me try again... I don't know for certain....and this is strictly speculation on my part, but I believe your nice presentation box was likely originally used for a higher-grade private purchase badge like a H&H hallmarked Pilot or Aviator badge. Your Air Crew wing certainly appears to be an authentic period piece. But it also appears to be the more common type of unmarked badge issued by the Army upon graduation. I don't believe an "issue" or "graduation" wing would have started out in a private purchase presentation box. Somewhere along their seventy years of existence, the Air Crew badge ended up in the H&H box. Just my two cents... Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share #14 Posted December 2, 2014 Russ Thanks for your valued thoughts. Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted December 2, 2014 Share #15 Posted December 2, 2014 Just to add a comment or two- the mottled appearance of the back side of the wing makes me think that it has been sitting on velvet or some other "plush" surface for many, many years. While I agree with Russ that I would expect to see a higher quality wing in the case, I do not think that it is beyond the realm of possibility that the wing inside the case didn't originally come in the case. Additionally, even though this wing COULD be a graduation wing, it is also possible that this one was a PX purchase. Now, imagine the scenario- GI goes to the PX to buy an "extra" wing to send home to the girlfriend, or mom. He plunks down his hard earned 65 cents and buys the wing. He then asks the girl behind the counter if she has a box that the wing could go in since it is going to be a gift. She pulls out this H-H box and the wing goes inside. Flash forward 70 years and a bunch of guys are sitting around their keyboards trying to figure out if 1) the wing is actually an unmarked Hilborn Hamburger wing or 2) it is in the wrong case. Great wing! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BROBS Posted December 2, 2014 Share #16 Posted December 2, 2014 It's also plausible in my mind that the guy bought a "nicer" set of private purchase wings and placed his "graduation" wings in the new box for storage. Maybe if you could find the original Airman's uniform, you could find the H+H wings on it? So yes, probably placed in the "wrong" box close to 70 years ago. -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share #17 Posted December 3, 2014 Thanks Allan H and Brobs for the comments. Allan I about fell off the couch laughing reading your comment .But could be a reasonable answer.Thanks again to everyone who has responded.Jay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted December 4, 2014 Share #18 Posted December 4, 2014 That is a great pair of wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted December 4, 2014 Author Share #19 Posted December 4, 2014 Thanks>> Will be posting another one soon,just waiting for it to arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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