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Post Your Medical Wings!


John Cooper
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Here are a couple of odd ducks. Both underlying wings appear to be legitimate; the stars are crudely attached, and appear to have been there for a long time. Question: was there any circumstances where the added stars might have served a legitimate function?

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Here are a couple of odd ducks. Both underlying wings appear to be legitimate; the stars are crudely attached, and appear to have been there for a long time. Question: was there any circumstances where the added stars might have served a legitimate function?

 

The 'new' wings created for the USAF after 1947 included a senior Flight Surgeon with a star above the shield. A Flight Surgeon needed 7 years service and 350 flying hours.

I would think it possible someone who qualified durring ww2 and served post war prefered to add a star to his ww2 wings.

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I agree with Graham's statement completely. It makes sense that stars would have been added to silver WWII era Flight Surgeon badges well into the 1950's. Would the same be true for gilt-colored Flight Surgeon badges? Here's a two-inch gilt Flight Surgeon wing made by Meyer's. The gilt one-piece star-on-stilts attachment is classic Meyer's hardware. This piece sure appears to be a factory production...not a later add-on. Your opinions and ideas are most welcome.

 

Russ

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Very interesting comments and illustrations. Would you agree that the GEMSCO mark shown above is post-WWII?

 

The AECo. wing shows some slight signs that it may have started out life as a gold wing. There are some gold surfaces in the recesses of the reverse, and the copper-looking highlights on the front may also be left over from an old gold wash. I've often wondered how a pin worn on a coat could become so shop-worn unless it had been sitting in a hardware can for decades. Or, perhaps in this case there was a deliberate effort to polish away the gold after the regulation changed in 1944.

 

As you know, Meyer made the WWII design Flight Surgeon wings marked 9M, taking the active production of the WWII wings up to about 1965. There may be some others I haven't seen.

 

Russ, your gold one is a curious little piece. Beautiful.

 

PS

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Very interesting comments and illustrations. Would you agree that the GEMSCO mark shown above is post-WWII?

 

The AECo. wing shows some slight signs that it may have started out life as a gold wing. There are some gold surfaces in the recesses of the reverse, and the copper-looking highlights on the front may also be left over from an old gold wash. I've often wondered how a pin worn on a coat could become so shop-worn unless it had been sitting in a hardware can for decades. Or, perhaps in this case there was a deliberate effort to polish away the gold after the regulation changed in 1944.

 

As you know, Meyer made the WWII design Flight Surgeon wings marked 9M, taking the active production of the WWII wings up to about 1965. There may be some others I haven't seen.

 

Russ, your gold one is a curious little piece. Beautiful.

 

PS

 

Paul, I have a Gemsco Flight Surgeon in the same pattern as your's with that exact hallmark except mine is gold. It is clutchback with smooth clutches. There is no doubt that the gold finish is original to the piece. If it is a post-war mark, did companies like Gemsco continue to make gold FS wings after the war even though the regulation changed in Sept. 1944? They could very well have started making this wing during the war as a gold wing, switched to silver after the regulation change and made it into the post-war years as a silver wing. As you point out, companies just didn't throw their stock away when WWII ended. I'm sure many of the wings we think of as WWII were issued in the post-war era.

 

Mark

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Those are some interesting additions to say the least. I think the addition of the star to a WW2 set is plausible although the set posted by Russ does have me scratching my head since the regs did change but then again if this is in the early post war years maybe bending the rules under a generous wear out period made this ok?? I have to say the one you posted Russ looks to be factory applied.

 

As for the Gemsco mark I always considered that a later mark although how much later is unknown to me the fact that mark has a gold FS with the same mark is intriguing maybe you we will see a photo please :rolleyes:

 

Now here is a GEMSCRAFT :lol:

 

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Mark that is a beauty for sure. I am interested in finding out when Gemsco used that specific mark. Additionally how long after the regs changed did they and other produce gold FS wings? It maybe a case of just using up stock already produced which may also explain why they were still available after the change? I guess another thing to consider would be the post types and how they are attached.

 

John

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Mark,

I believe your gilt Gemsco hallmarked Flight Surgeon wing is vintage WWII. I also believe the Gemsco hallmark you have illustrated has been around for a long time. Gemsco started producing wings in the early 1920's. I have an unpierced (solid-anchor) 1920's full size USN Aviator's wing with the identical wreath-style Gemsco hallmark. Like your Flight Surgeon example, my Naval Aviator badge has no other marking other than the name "GEMSCO" centered inside the wreath design. Great medical wings guys! Please keep posting those variations.

Russ

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Mark,

I believe your gilt Gemsco hallmarked Flight Surgeon wing is vintage WWII. I also believe the Gemsco hallmark you have illustrated has been around for a long time. Gemsco started producing wings in the early 1920's. I have an unpierced (solid-anchor) 1920's full size USN Aviator's wing with the identical wreath-style Gemsco hallmark. Like your Flight Surgeon example, my Naval Aviator badge has no other marking other than the name "GEMSCO" centered inside the wreath design. Great medical wings guys! Please keep posting those variations.

Russ

 

Thanks Russ and John! I've always believed they are WW II because they are gilt. In any case, I bought them cheaply at a flea market from a junk dealer so either way, I'm OK with them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok time for an update - here is one that did not seem to me to attract much attention :think:

I think this is a Meyer wing based on some others I have and an old catalog.

 

BTW so for the washed out look the photo does not reflect the richer gold tone... not as dark as an AE&Co but very nice.

 

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