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World War One Weekly Wing #34


cwnorma
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World War One

Weekly Wing #34

Second-Type Dallas Wing

Background

 

It hardly seems possible that all the way back in February, we examined the Bailey Banks and Biddle so-called "Dallas wing" back in WWOWW #8.  We won't rehash that discussion here but I recommend a click on the link to review the wide ranging and spirited discussion.  Although discussed previously, WWOWW #34 is a wing for which no definitive maker has ever surfaced.  Some collectors have arrived at a sort of convention that the badge was made by the Eisenstadt Manufacturing Co of St Louis, Missouri however, to date, no proof of this has surfaced.  The badge is not marked in any way and no Eisenstadt company literature of any sort has surfaced indicating their manufacture or marketing of this particular badge.  While the maker of this badge remains elusive, of all the so-called Dallas-wing variations, this badge is the closest in design to the patent drawings of; Roy Seastrunk, Claire Semans and Edward Heligman:

 

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Description

 

Reserve Military Aviator

 

Manufacture. Another iteration of the quintessential American-made World War One wing, design wise this badge is ever so slightly less refined than the Bailey, Banks, and Biddle variety.    Again, distinctive in design detail while remaining generally similar in proportion to the BB&B wings—both badges are significantly oversized.  Similar to the BB&B wing, this badge is struck in thin stock using the cliche' method and the constituent components are affixed to the backing plate by small silver tabs soldered to the rear of each element that pass through holes in the backing plate and are bent flat to hold.  Each wing is characterized by a first row of feathers separated by cuts with a jeweler's saw, surmounted by a two-tier shoulder of individual feathers with the topmost row consisting of three feathers in a splayed formation.  A row of fine "beads" traverses the top and two-thirds of the way down the side of each wing.  Three of the "beads" extend past each wing tip.

 

The shield is moderately flared.  The chief contains 13 small raised "stars" atop a smooth field.  The field portion consists of alternating raised and relieved vertical columns.  The chief and field portion are separated by a row of beads similar in character to those surmounting the wings.

 

The well executed US is made of 14k gold half-round stock, hand shaped with no apparent serifs or periods.

 

Mountings.  The RMA badge is mounted on a semi-conformal brass plate.  A background cloth of blue serge (faded to a plum color) laps the reverse by approximately 90% and is hand stitched fast.  The catch is of the drop-in type.  The pin is relatively thick.

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Chris,

 

Thank you, as always, for dedicating your time to the weekly WWI wings posts.  I look forward to them each weekend and I am certain I am not the only one...

 

Also, thank you for providing the facts on what is truly known on this pattern badge.  Great information!

 

Pete

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it is worth mentioning the American Eagle 1 piece "Dallas Wing" that is hallmarked with the Eisenstadt mark (A carpenter's square under an "E").  I think that there are some very close similarities, but also some subtle variations between the Seastrunk, Semans and Heligman wing.  I am about 99% sure that the story behind the SSH wing has too many coincidences between the three men (Semans and Heigiman were salesmen in the Dallas area who worked for some of the large Dallas department stores, and Seastrunk was a Jeweler in the Dallas area (assuming I didn't screw up their names and jobs)) not to attribute this pattern to them (rather than Eisenstadt).  The patent drawings are just about the same, as well, so I strongly suspect that the 3-featherd Dallas Wings previous thought to be made by Eisenstadt were probably produced by Seastrunk for Semans and Heligman for one of the local Dallas department stores.  There are some really great threads and detective work done by Chris that really clarify this issue.

 

I am not sure where the St Louis Mo hallmarked Eisenstadt wing comes into play.  Many of the Eisenstadt wings were hand made, and the die struck Eagle badge (which is also a 3-featherd pattern) is an interesting anomaly.

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Thomas "Roy" Seastruck also seems to have made a one piece Dallas wing (you find the smaller 2 incher) hallmarked with what I deduce is Roy S mark.  Again, the SSH Dallas wing (previously know as the Eisenstadt wing) the 1 piece Eisenstadt hallmarked wing and the Roy Seastruck marked 1 piece Dallas wing are all pretty similar.  One wonders if a little more searching will turn up a Seastruck and Eisenstadt relationship.

 

Seastruck seems to have been nearer to D Dunham, but it is possible that he was associated with Eisenstadt in some sort of professional manner. 

 

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One last point adding to this thread.


There is an additional variation to the 3 feathered Dallas wings. The "broad shield" variation has a much fatter (almost pregnant looking) shield. 

 

So there appears to be at least 4 superficially similar Dallas style wings with 3 feathers in the shield:

 

Because people like to assign "pattern 1, pattern 2, etc, I propose the following:

 

Pattern 1 (most common):  3 piece, on brass backing, with narrow shield, likely SSH made, previously known as Eisenstadt.  Associated with a couple of patents submitted by Semans and Hegilman and another by Roy (Thomas) Seastruck in Dallas around 1918.

Pattern 2 (very rare): 3 piece, on brass backing, with broad shield, unknown but perhaps an SSH variation.

Pattern 3 (very very rare): 1 piece, on metal backing, hallmarked EAGELE and LE.  Made by Eisenstadt

Pattern 4 (very rare): 1 piece, no backing, hallmarked "RoyS". Probably made by Roy Seastruck.

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  • 1 year later...

Posting here for relevance:

 

1261495439_Morris0-3.jpeg.19f8c03e6ef51bb9069cb9e564846f0b.jpeg

 

Top to bottom comparison of the RMA and 1st-type Observer versions of this "second-pattern Dallas."

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