Interesting Discovery- Pair of WWII Flight Officer Rank

[Allan H.]

While WWII Flight Officer insignia doesn't show up all that often, I wouldn't necessarily call it scarce, but like most older insignia, finding matched pairs can be a bit of a problem. Yesterday, I was digging out a couple of pieces that other forum members have asked to see and I pulled out a Glider Pilot 4 pocket blouse that I have owned for a few decades. As I was checking it out, I removed the Flight officer brass and noticed something that I found interesting. Both insignia have the desirable "snowflake" backs, but they are not marked the same. You will note that one of the devices is marked "Amcraft/ Attleboro Mass./ Acid Test" and the other, matching device is simply marked "Acid Test." While it is always possible that the insignia was randomly applied by the flight officer that wore it, my suspicion is that this is the way these two pieces came, as a set, from the factory. Either way, I think that it is safe to assume based on the uniformity of the manufacturing process, that these were both made by Amcraft.

 

I'd love to hear others' opinions.

 

Allan

[Justin B.]

Interesting! Whatever the reason for switching the mark, the simplest explanation seems to me that different lots were mixed at the manufacturer and were shipped like that. I would not be surprised if large quantities were "dumped" into whatever packaging system they had.

 

Always good to see WO/FO stuff, thanks for posting.

[siege1863]

I wonder if there was not a larger sheet from which the devices were punched and both styles of text repeated throughout. You happened to get the long and short as a pair.