Breaking of the wings

[ks coyote]

I am a avid metal detectorist and while detecting a now closed WW2 USAAF base found this Navigator's wing. The other wing was never found. I recently heard about this tradition and that it applied to navigators too which might explain why it was never found.

[rustywings]

I'm not in tune? Can you please elaborate. What does this half-wing represent?

[5thwingmarty]

If they got lost did someone take their wing and break it?

 

Can you show the edge where the wing was removed? I can't believe a wing like this would break off that smoothly along the curve of the center device.

[ks coyote]

Breaking of the wings:

 

Since man started flying, he has taken to the air a certain amount of risk. To counter that risk, a tradition was established years ago when the

Army Air Corps first started issuing pilot wings to their young aviators. This tradition is called "BREAKING OF THE WINGS".

 

At every UPT graduation, the Air Force issues the pilots their pair of wings. As tradition has it, the pilot should never wear that first pair of wings.

To bring good luck, the pilot should break the wings into two parts. The pilot should keep one half, the other half should be given to the pilots best

friend or relative. To preserve good luck, the halves should never be brought together while the pilot is alive. After death the two halves are once

again united with the pilot for good luck in the next life.