Salvage Sailor Posted August 10, 2016 Share #1 Posted August 10, 2016 So you like wings? Rather than post this in the ephemera section I'm placing it here as it has so many different types and styles of wings it will get more coverage here. The yardlong photo was taken at Luke Field, Territory of Hawaii in the mid 1930's by the Eleventh Photo Section, Air Corps, and it includes staff officers (medical, chaplain, etc.) along with the pilots of the Air Corps. They are all wearing Hawaiian Department patches and a variety of AC insignia, uniforms, ribbons and also marksmanship badges. There are undoubtedly future WWII general officers and commanding officers among these pilots and I'll post some close up details of their wings when I have time. Recognize anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted August 10, 2016 Left side overall detail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share #3 Posted August 10, 2016 Right side overall detail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted August 11, 2016 Share #4 Posted August 11, 2016 I did not realize this was the oŕiginal airfield on Ford Island. aviation.hawaii.gov/airfields-airports/oahu/ford-islandluke-field/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #5 Posted August 11, 2016 Yep, this is the 5th Composite Group - Probably around 1930 Luke Field (Ford Island) Pearl Harbor, Oahu T.H. By the numbers starting from top left to bottom right 001 to 008 001 002 003 004 005 UPDATE - Pilot No. 5 - The future Lt General Thomas S. Moorman Sr.? He earned his pilot wings in October 1934 and was assigned to the 4th Observation Squadron, 5th Composite Group at Luke Field, Hawaii until July 1936 006 007 008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #6 Posted August 11, 2016 009 through 016 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted August 11, 2016 017 through 024 - Number 18 may be wearing the first 'crusher' in the Air Corps 017 018 019 020 021 022 023 024 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #8 Posted August 11, 2016 025 though 031 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #9 Posted August 11, 2016 032 and 033 - the Flight Surgeon, Captain Medical Corps, Hawaiian Department 032 033a 033 Flight Surgeon, Medical Corps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted August 11, 2016 034 and 035 034a 034 035a 035 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #11 Posted August 11, 2016 036 and 037 - Two more staff Captains, another Medical Officer and the Quartermaster 036a 036 Flight Surgeon, Medical Corps 037a 037 Quartermaster Corps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted August 11, 2016 038 and 039 - two older officers, possibly the Adjutant and the Lieutenant is wearing 'coffin bars' 038a 038 039a 039 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #13 Posted August 11, 2016 40 and 41 - Sitting beside the "Old Man", the Commanding Officer with overseas chevrons and another Lieutenant 040a 040 041a 041 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #14 Posted August 11, 2016 42 and 43 - The Chaplain 042a 042 043a 043 5th Composite Group Chaplain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #15 Posted August 11, 2016 44 and 45 - There we go, check out the DUI on the epaulette, it's the 5th Composite Group (later 5th Bombardment Group) Kiai O Ka Lewa (Guardians of the Upper Regions) Airship Pilot 044a 044 Airship Pilot 045a 045 First Lieutenant Pilot wearing spurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted August 11, 2016 Last one, bottom row right side - 46 and 47 - Another pilot with older wings, coffin bars and overseas chevrons, there are some early pilots and Great War veterans in this group 046a 046 047a 047 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfrost Posted August 11, 2016 Share #17 Posted August 11, 2016 Those are some stunning images of some great wings and uniforms. Thanks so much for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #18 Posted August 11, 2016 Mahalo, We (the Pineapple Army collectors) are leaning towards the CO in photo No. 40 as being Major Maxwell Kirby, Commanding Officer of the 5th Composite Group from Aug 1929 to June 1932. (The other candidate being Major Vincent B. Dixon) Kirby was enlisted in 1904, commissioned as 2nd LT Cavalry in 1913, and detailed to the Aviation Section, Signal Corps in 1916. He served in the AEF as a Captain and was awarded the Silver Star Citation. He was retired for disability in the line of duty in 1934 which would place the period of this photograph in the early 1930's which matches the uniform styles of the younger officers. Anyone have info or a photo of either Kirby or Dixon for comparison or Kirby's SS Citation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted August 11, 2016 Author Share #19 Posted August 11, 2016 On No. 35 is that an Observer Wing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share #20 Posted September 1, 2016 On 8/10/2016 at 5:22 PM, Salvage Sailor said: 44 and 45 - There we go, check out the DUI on the epaulette, it's the 5th Composite Group (later 5th Bombardment Group) Kiai O Ka Lewa (Guardians of the Upper Regions) Airship Pilot (from Emerson) After World War I many aviators thought dirigibles would be a major aviation form and the War Department created the airship pilot rating. Pilots of free floating balloons received a different rating since airships, with engines and a rigid form, required true pilots, at least as viewed by the Air Service. With the well-publicized crashes of the US Navy airships and the commercial Germany Hindenburg, by the late 1930’s it was clear airships would not compete with heavier-than-air machines. 6 The War Department established this badge on 14 October 1921. As with other pilot badges AR 600-35, of 31 December 1926 called for wings worn on the wool service coat to be embroidered on dark blue cloth, while metal wings went on all other uniforms. The army abolished the airship pilot badge in circular 21, 1940. Airship pilots had other ratings and the elimination of this insignia left no one without a badge. Major General Oscar Westover, Chief of the Air Corps from December 1935 until his death in a crash in September 1938, was an airship pilot besides being rated as a balloon observer (really a balloon pilot), airplane pilot, and an airplane observer. Airship Pilot badges, authorized from 1921 to 1940, have been heavily reproduced for collectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted September 1, 2016 Share #21 Posted September 1, 2016 Some great images! I really enjoyed seeing these. These are by far the sharpest uniforms...in my opinion. Great examples of prewar dress and wings. Thanks for taking the time to do this. The gentleman in No. 015 looks really familiar but I am probably making too much of it. It also appears he may be wearing a balloon wing too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doinworkinvans Posted September 1, 2016 Share #22 Posted September 1, 2016 No. 002 is not "Tinker" is it? The dark skin and mustache sure does look like him to me. And I know he was in Hawaii at some point in the 30s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share #23 Posted September 1, 2016 I was also thinking Balloon or Airship Wing on No. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted September 1, 2016 Share #24 Posted September 1, 2016 Great pictures. Excellent job and doing the close ups.Man a lot of different use of insignia and placement.I like the Airship wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share #25 Posted September 2, 2016 No. 002 is not "Tinker" is it? The dark skin and mustache sure does look like him to me. And I know he was in Hawaii at some point in the 30s. There are similarities but it's not Tinker. Anyone have any ID's on these pilots, several of them are Great War veterans and perhaps early Air Corps pilots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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