AAF Distinguished Aerial Gunner Badge

[wartimecollectables.com]

The Distinguished Aerial Bomber and Distinguished Aerial Gunner badges are two of the rarer of Army Air Corps military aviation awards. Research indicates gold badges were struck initially in 14K gold by Rock Island Arsenal then in a 14k and gold plated versions by BB&B. They were awarded to the highest scoring aviation officers at the annual gunnery and bombing matches held at Langley Field, VA from 1926 to 1932. This example is BB&B marked and unattributed. What I have not been able to determine is if ALL awarded examples were named and when named, where were they engraved?

 

[Blacksmith]

That is an exquisite award.  I have never seen one.  Gadzooks...

[wartimecollectables.com]

Thanks! They are beautiful badges!

[gunnertwo]

Rare, rare and rare! Excellent piece and very seldom seen.

 

G2

[wartimecollectables.com]

And here is his brother! 

AAF Distinguished Aerial Bomber Badge

 

[5thwingmarty]

The BB&B examples on Bob's website are both in 14k gold and have drop in catches.  The 1928 BB&B catalog displays these with the note "Issued on permit from War Dept."

 

JoeW offers his museum quality replicas of these, but those on his site are not marked in the photos as to "maker" or metal.  I would want iron clad proof and guarantee before I spent any money on these. 

[wartimecollectables.com]

Don't know who Bob is? These are the ones used in William Emerson 's Marksmanship Badges of the U.S  Army and purchased from him. I believe he got them from Duncan Campbell. Pretty ironclad.

[5thwingmarty]

I thought I had replied to this before but see my post isn't here.  Bob is Bob Schwartz and here is a link to his website where examples are shown. 

http://www.ww2wings.com/wings/btw/us/presleydistinguishedbombardier.shtml

 

I did post on the other older thread that also discussed these badges hoping the person who started that thread would add more.

 

Marty

[wartimecollectables.com]

On 8/24/2020 at 2:24 PM, 5thwingmarty said:

The BB&B examples on Bob's website are both in 14k gold and have drop in catches.  The 1928 BB&B catalog displays these with the note "Issued on permit from War Dept."

JoeW offers his museum quality replicas of these, but those on his site are not marked in the photos as to "maker" or metal.  I would want iron clad proof and guarantee before I spent any money on these. 

Marty, feeling dense so pardon my confusion regards your post.

You are correct about the posts on the wing site. 

Joe *************** has made cleanly CAST replicas in gilt base metal.

Below is a bit more detail from William Emerson regards the badges initial production and BB&B produced badges.

 ""Andrew,
You asked about some details of the two aerial distinguished badges.  The War Department first awarded Distinguished Aerial Gunner and Distinguished Aerial Bomber badges in 1928, retroactively to 1926.   

Afterwards the badges were given each year through 1932.  MG Benjamin Foulois, who became Air Corps chief in 1931, concluded the current ability to hit targets were not up to desired standards.  After national match standards were not sufficient to meet the Foulois standards in the 1931 and 1932 matches, he ended award of aerial distinguished badges.

  Two similar but slightly different versions exist for each of the two badges.  The initial WD version and the subsequent BB&B version.  From the front they appear identical.  WD drawing 4-4-22, dated February 28, 1930, show these badges and note that they, and all other distinguished badges (Marksman, Pistol, and Automatic Rifle), have the same composition: All of the wire links are made from 14K gold, gold solder is to be used to fasten the pin and catch to the suspending bar, and the overall badge is to be “14K gold, plated with 24K gold plated complete approx. XXX grains,” where for the bomber badge XXX is 235 and the gunner badge is 227.  
   It is worth noting that in the late 1920s and well into the mid 1930s, the QMC was creating official drawings of its insignia for the first time.  In most cases these drawings were simply documenting the insignia then in use.  In the case of the five distinguished badges this appears to fit this pattern as the caches on them have two different styles of catches:  The Aerial and the Auto Rifle have ball catches, while the rifle and pistol badges have the older style of catch made from a heavy wire.
   The reverse of the two styles of aerial badges differ slightly.  The initial 1926-1929 WD badges have ball catches differ from the BB&B ball catches, as the slot in the ball and rotating catch differ by 90 degrees.  The drawing simply calls for a ball catch and does not specify any brand or design for these catches.  Also the reverse of the planchets are of different styles.  The WD versions have a slight concave shape and are marked 14K.  The BB&B versions are flat and are marked BB&B in various ways.