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1920s/30s US Navy aviator wing............


Flightpath
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Hi,

 

here is my oldest (I think) US Navy wing, I hope to get a bit more information on it, there is one in US Navy Wings of Gold (page37) but there's no photo of the back, it says "Coast Guard Aviator wing. 1923 style".

I hope others with this style wing might reply and we can discuss them,

 

cheers, John

post-105780-0-16241000-1502025654_thumb.jpg

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This pattern is attributed to Gemsco.

Also, there is no such thing as a "Coast Guard Pattern" wing.

USCG, USMC and USN all wore the same wings of gold.

Nice pick up.

 

John

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Thanks B-17Guy, I've often wondered about that Coast Guard thing.

 

So can you put a rough date to this wing? I would like to think 1920s but really am just beginning on wing details.

 

Cheers, John

 

PS. I like radials too, here's a nice Hudson, I have the clock from this aircraft, it's pilot in 1943 was a good friend, he forced landed it in Nth Australia.

This pattern is attributed to Gemsco.
Also, there is no such thing as a "Coast Guard Pattern" wing.
USCG, USMC and USN all wore the same wings of gold.
Nice pick up.

John

post-105780-0-05486200-1502046710.jpg

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I don't think we'll ever know for sure, but 20's is possible.

However, my gut says 1930's to early WWII.

I have seen these with no markings, Gemsco Acid Test and just +1/20 10k GF.

 

Nice having the clock too! Those 8 days clocks are awesome and having one with provenance is very cool.

 

John

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Thanks, yes, very hard to say, it would have been great if the makers hallmarked & dated all their wings!

 

I'll write this because it was a US made aircraft ;)

 

The RAAF Hudson pilot worked with me, Tom used to bring in his log book and go through each mission, one day he said "oh I forgot about that, we were on an anti sub patrol, switched fuel tanks just off the coast and both engines stopped, we dropped depth charges and had just enough altitude to make a forced landing in a swamp. Everyone was ok, we strung up an antenna and the RO contacted Darwin, they said the Navy will get us in three days. I asked him to get a screwdriver and take the clock out for me.......... I still have it, do you want it?" (You can guess my answer) The next day he came in and gave me the clock, his wings and photos of the aircraft taken a few months later when he flew over on another Hudson........ the clock was U/S, I'm an instrument maker and made a new winding shaft, fitted a new knob cleaned the face, re-painted the hands and had it serviced by a friend.

 

Tom died a few years later, I contacted his daughter but she didn't know where his log book was.

 

cheers, John

post-105780-0-05666800-1502091722_thumb.jpg

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MastersMate

The 1923 USCG Officers Uniform Regulations describe the CG aviators insignia as having a silver shield over the foul anchor. In the 1930 USCG Uniform regulations the description is the same as the USN.

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I have a very similar wing to yours. Mine has a "later" style catch that would probably place it around WWII. Again, I don't think we can really draw definitive lines about when a wing was made, as it is pretty clear that in many cases there was a great deal of overlap. I suspect outside of biographical or dated photographic evidence, these wings could have been used from 1920's well into the KW time period. Mostly it seems to me that the placement of where a wing was made is more based on conjecture and wishes than real facts.

 

This type of wing is rather cheap and was likely something that was used on an everyday uniform (if I had to guess). But that being said, I wouldn't argue to strongly that this ISNT a 20's or 30's piece. In fact, I have always thought it was a late 20's-30's pattern myself. Its your collection, you should decide!!

 

Here is mine

post-1519-0-64521300-1502157501.jpg

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Thank-you for the input guys,

yes, it's my collection but I try to date it as close as I can, I'm with Patrick: a late 1920s/30s pattern, Josh B.: GEMSCO, pre-dates WW2, B-17 Guy: 1930s-early WW2........ with these and my own thinking I average it out at mid-1930s until I find more information.

 

As Patrick said, It's not the best quality wing and may have been made for an everyday uniform, but I like the idea of this being worn in a time when wings were often worn while flying. It probably looked nicer 70+ years ago!

 

cheers, John

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  • 1 month later...

I ran across this photo on the web while searching for CG aviators insignia. A question for the experts then. Is it possible by the wing design, feathering and the catch arrangement that this insignia could be of 1923 to 1930 vintage ???

 

Do you think it has the makings of a reproduction piece ??

 

Just curious....

 

post-162267-0-46416600-1506358396.jpg

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Disregard the above post.. Found additional information that it is being advertised and sold as a reproduction of a 1922 item. Sorry for the hasty post..

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