US navy enlisted flight crew wearing silver half wing.

[Flightpath]

A follow-up to my previous post about this wing:

 

These silver half wings were worn by USN enlisted seaplane flight crew/mechanics from August 1919 and were later issued to enlisted balloon pilots from September 1922.

 

I thought it stood to reason that they were also worn by enlisted airship flight crew/mechanics and hoped to find a photo to corroborate this.

While searching for a photo of an enlisted man wearing this wing, I found an April 1920 photo showing the silver half wing worn by three USN Petty Officers on their way to England to form part of the aircrew of the ill-fated US Naval airship ZR-2 (British R-38).(A fourth wing in the photo seems to be the bullion type)..

 

The photo is # NH 41998 from the Naval History and Heritage Command archive.

 

Although my wife may not agree, some hours spent at the PC are well spent!

 

cheers, John

[Flightpath]

Here's a 1935 film showing a CPO aboard the USS Macon wearing the silver half wing (at 9:53), the wings were being worn at least during the 1930s on airships......... I love that era in aviation!

 

 

Cliff says that here might have been some 'old salts' wearing them later, even during WW2 and the Navy Department would not have required them to replace their half-wing badges with any other style of insignia.

 

cheers, John

[0bx]

Thanks for posting this.

Is anyone able to make out the rate on the left shoulder of the CPO at 9:55?

[rustywings]

John, thank you for your efforts in posting the vintage footage of the USS Macon in various stages of construction. Great stuff!

 

A month ago, I visited the "Moffett Field Historical Society Museum" near San Jose, California. For a relatively small museum, I was pleasantly surprised by the outstanding USN Airship and Balloon displays, including USS Macon memorabilia, they had on hand. Well worth your time, should you find yourself in that area of the Country...

 

http://moffettfieldmuseum.org/pop4.html

[Flightpath]

Thanks for posting rustywings, yes, great footage........ I'd love to visit Moffett Field one day!

 

0bx, yes, it's very hard to make out, some aviation rates look simular in these old movies and photos!

 

Having read more and been enlightened by some others I realise that the silver half wing was not for enlisted pilots because they wore the gold half wings. This leaves the silver half wing as a wing worn by enlisted aircrew/mechanics beginning in 1919........

 

I have the names of the seven in the photo, is there a way to find out more about them?

 

Left to right, kneeling: S.H. Knight, F.M. Gorey and A.C. Carlson.

Left to right, standing: W.G. Steele*, F.L. Stevens, W.A. Russell and R.N. Coons*.

 

*Lost their lives when the ZR-2/R-38 crashed in Britain on 24 August 1921.

 

cheers, John

[Flightpath]

Hi,

here is an identical half wing, it further confirms that mine is legitimate and not a one off, home made example (I had hoped to see another example).

 

 

Photos from the Griffin Militaria website.

 

[Flightpath]

Here are two enlarged parts of the above airship crew member photo showing the enlisted mechanic wing in both metal and bullion, they also show some ratings and CPO cover badges.....

 

 

[bschwartz]

The gold wing you posted shows a remarkable similarity to the Bailey, Banks & Biddle marked wing from Cliff Presley's collection on my site.  John Ferguson also has a silver mechanics badge posted.  Here's the link if you haven't had a chance to see them already.

[Flightpath]

On 3/18/2022 at 2:23 PM, bschwartz said:

The gold wing you posted shows a remarkable similarity to the Bailey, Banks & Biddle marked wing from Cliff Presley's collection on my site.  John Ferguson also has a silver mechanics badge posted.  Here's the link if you haven't had a chance to see them already.

Thanks, yes, I´ve seen that and other simular B B & B style wings.

I´ve been looking at the very fine details of my silver half wing and comparing it to the other simular style BB&B wings, the only wing that has close to identicle details as my half wing is the half wing that Griffin Militaria has, I´m sure they were both struck from the same die. There must have been a couple of simular dies about back then.

[rathbonemuseum.com]

On 3/18/2022 at 9:23 AM, bschwartz said:

The gold wing you posted shows a remarkable similarity to the Bailey, Banks & Biddle marked wing from Cliff Presley's collection on my site.  John Ferguson also has a silver mechanics badge posted.  Here's the link if you haven't had a chance to see them already.

@bschwartzyou also have mine posted there as well but in the "between the wars" section. The one i have is biographical to a seaplane AMM that started as a crewman/mechanic in the mid-1930s. Later qualified as an enlisted Naval Observer, then NAP, then NA. The silver half wing was produced by a local Hawaiian jewelry co. Wall & Dougherty. All of these fall in the "Between the Wars" as they were regulation 1919 and obsolete before 1940.

[Flightpath]

On 10/14/2017 at 7:51 PM, 0bx said:

Thanks for posting this.

Is anyone able to make out the rate on the left shoulder of the CPO at 9:55?

Looks like aviation machinist, but a bit fuzzy to be 100% sure.

[Flightpath]

On 10/14/2017 at 7:51 PM, 0bx said:

Thanks for posting this.

Is anyone able to make out the rate on the left shoulder of the CPO at 9:55?

The best I can do, looks like an aviation machinist....