blitz67 Posted June 13, 2015 Share #1 Posted June 13, 2015 I found this the other day at an estate sale, didn't even know I had it until I got home and found it hidden in an old artillery shell. Both the screw posts or pin posts on the back are broken off. I found an identical wing over on the warrelics forum. Anyone have any comments about this wing? I appreciate any feedback I can get. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz67 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted June 13, 2015 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz67 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted June 13, 2015 I went back to the sale where I found the wings and found these two nice items. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz67 Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted June 13, 2015 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkshake Posted June 13, 2015 Share #5 Posted June 13, 2015 I have no clue about this item, the exact insignia was posted yesterday. I don't know the answers to that other post, anyways nice find with the pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mghcal Posted June 13, 2015 Share #6 Posted June 13, 2015 Here's a similar wing. http://www.ww2wings.com/wings/wwi/us/morrisdibb.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bschwartz Posted June 13, 2015 Share #7 Posted June 13, 2015 Dibb wings are extremely rare and very highly prized. That's like finding a 10 carat diamond in a bubble gum machine. That is simply an amazing find. Congrats and I'm jealous as can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted June 13, 2015 Share #8 Posted June 13, 2015 Wow! Nice find! With the screw-posts missing from the back of the badge, I wonder if the original owner may have intended to turn the artillery shell into a piece of trench art with the wings incorporated into the design? The use of a little soapy water and an old soft toothbrush might remove some of that gunk in the recesses of the feathering and add a little luster to an otherwise beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing your terrific find... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rathbonemuseum.com Posted June 13, 2015 Share #9 Posted June 13, 2015 That was a heck of a lucky find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patchcollector Posted June 14, 2015 Share #10 Posted June 14, 2015 Nice snag!Congratulations! Now my question for the Wing guys is;would it be better to repair this Wing or leave it as is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk3370 Posted June 14, 2015 Share #11 Posted June 14, 2015 Some people have a lucky cloud hovering over them. Had I bought an arty shell at an estate sale it would have been filled with camel dung no doubt. A magnificent wing and 100% good. Dibb was a small jeweler in San Diego and made wings for local aviators stationed nearby. Each was hand made using the lost wax method, not struck, hand chased and assembled. Note the crude back with file marks blemishes etc while the front is a work of art. This is only the third Dibb wing I have seen since I started collecting WW1 some 50 years ago. Attached are pic of the Dibb wing I received directly from the widow of Lt. Henry Chapman. Notice the screw post and nut. The screw post could be easily replaced by a professional jeweler but the nut will be almost impossible to find I suspect. They had a metal black wool covered plate with two holes drilled in it to place behind the wing when worn on the tunic. Since each was hand made there will be diff in every Dibb wing encountered. Notice the US on your wing and the one from Lt. Chapman, different size but both original. The gold collar insignia is a sweetheart pin probably from the 1920's. A very good find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz67 Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks for all the kind comments, I guess it was lucky, but I do sped a lot of time searching garage and estate sales every week, so I am bound to make some good finds. This all came with a Vietnam combat photographers lot that I will post tomorrow, its amazing! I believe the wing belonged to his grandfather or possibly his wives grandfather, his father was in WWII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blitz67 Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted June 17, 2015 Thanks again for all the info and offers to buy the wing. I am selling this to help pay for the Vietnam Photographers group I also bought. I listed it on ebay (371351177583) as I really do not know what to ask for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted June 19, 2015 Share #14 Posted June 19, 2015 Brad, It looks like you smacked a grand slam on ebay! Thanks for sharing your journey with us and congratulations! And to the lucky buyer, an equally stout congratulations in picking up a very rare piece! Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffP Posted June 19, 2015 Share #15 Posted June 19, 2015 Russ, I would like to second that statement - Congratulations to both. Brad, It looks like you smacked a grand slam on ebay! Thanks for sharing your journey with us and congratulations! And to the lucky buyer, an equally stout congratulations in picking up a very rare piece! Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Seay Posted June 23, 2015 Share #16 Posted June 23, 2015 Hello to all, what is a rare wing like this worth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted June 23, 2015 Share #17 Posted June 23, 2015 Hello to all, what is a rare wing like this worth? Missing the screw-posts and without provenance, two-thousand or more. In excellent shape and with provenance, like Terry's posted above, considerably more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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