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World War One Weekly Wing #39 - Enlisted Aviator


cwnorma
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World War One

Weekly Wing #39

Enlisted Aviator

 

 

WWOWW39.jpg.3ceffc062a6b5ac49b749108f71c96d8.jpg

Description

 

Manufacture. The badge appears to be silk machine embroidery on thin melton wool.  Close examination with a loupe shows the bobbin thread (which may be cotton) to be slightly more coarse than the top thread.  The entire top of each wing all the way down the side consists of one continuous "feather."  There are eight additional feathers in matching silk embroidery.  The four bladed propeller is also embroidered in matching silk.  There are no contrasting colored threads.  The dark blue background material has faded to a brownish purple with the back of the badge a shade darker than the front.

 

Mountings

 

The background is slightly crescent-shaped.  There are remnants of machine stitching around the perimeter where the badge was once sewn to a uniform.

 

Background

 

One of the toughest to find, most often commonly faked, and least understood World War One Aviation "badges" is the Enlisted Aviator.  Campbell related the War Department contention that "...no ratings as Enlisted Aviator have ever been awarded..."  Regardless, there is ample period photographic evidence that a few enlisted men indeed wore the insignia both in the United States and Overseas.  An examination of "Overseas Dreams" of the 2nd Provisional Wing at Park Place Texas reveals a number of soldiers clearly wearing the device on their sleeves.  The photos in "Overseas Dreams" are important to the discussion here as they are group photos--the presence of Squadron Commanders implies official sanction of the device.  

 

There is also some confusion with respect to the status of the device itself.  The authorizing regulations appear to treat it as a sort of occupational insignia along the same lines as other enlisted men of the Aviation Section, Signal Corps and later the Air Service; mechanicians (propeller within a circle) and other enlisted men (propeller).  As Campbell points out, a badge is something awarded for demonstrating a specific skill (i.e. marksman or sharpshooter), whereas an insignia is worn to show occupation or affiliation.  This distinction in this case only muddies the water--were Enlisted Aviator devices insignia or badges?  One Air Service historian has floated the idea that certain enlisted mechanicians were taught to fly locally and allowed to take repaired aircraft up to operations check them prior to returning them to active service.  Evidence for this is slim, but the idea does seem plausible.  Further confusing the matter are period photographs of enlisted men clearly wearing bullion aviation badges on their chests such as Observer, and in a few very rare cases Aviator and Enlisted Aviator.  For our purposes, and for the sake of argument, we will label the Enlisted Aviator device, whether worn on the sleeve or chest a "badge" but are certainly willing to have the discussion!  

 

Finally a word must be said about reproductions.  Of all WW1 Aviation badges or insignia, perhaps the easiest to fake is the Enlisted Aviator.  Consisting of nothing more complex than silk or cotton embroidery; unfortunately many entities have tried their hand.  All evidence indicates that ultimately, not a great many soldiers wore the badge--making them somewhat rare.  Great caution should therefore be exercised whenever considering adding such a badge to the collection.  Iron-clad provenance is always best.  However, when a badge lacks biographical background, favorable comparison to known good examples is the only available course.

 

As always, I would love to see your Enlisted Aviator badges or period photographs of them in wear!

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

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7 hours ago, cwnorma said:

Campbell related the War Department contention that "...no ratings as Enlisted Aviator have ever been awarded..." 

 

--were Enlisted Aviator devices insignia or badges?  

  

 

Chris,

 

It was probably a few years after Mr. Campbell said that when I happened to uncovered more than one official report published by the War Department which indicated that the Enlisted Aviator rating was an official rating. . . and the devices were referred to as insignia rather than badges to be worn on the sleeve.

 

Have printed a couple of references below.

 

BTW, I really enjoy your World War One Weekly Wing reports! 

 

Cliff  🙄

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Example 1:

REGLATIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE UNIFORM OF OFFICER AVIATIONS AND ENLISTED MEN OF THE AVIATION SECTION OF THE SIGNAL CORPS APPROVED JUNE 22, 1917, BY THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

Uniform Specifications;

 

Par. 83c. INSIGNIA, Sleeve

 

Enlisted aviator, on the same blue background shall be embroidered in white, the insignia as hereafter described.  A pair of wings with a five-inch spread with crossed propellers between them, each wing to be one and seven eighths inches long and seven-eighths of an inch high at the inter edge.  Propellers to be one inch across.  One-fourth inches above the top tip of the vertical propeller shall be embroidered the number of the squadron to which the man belongs in figures one-half of an inch high. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Example 2:

War Department,

            Office of the Quartermaster General of the Army.

 

SPECIFICATIONS FOR AVIATON INSIGNIA

(Adopted September 28, 1918)

 

Description - Enlisted Aviator.  On background of dark blue cloth 6 inches by 6 1/4 inches to be embroidered in white, a pair of wings with a 5-inch spread with crossed propellers between them, each wing to be 1 7/8 inches long and (--) inch high at the inner edge.  Propellers to be 11 inch across, center of propeller to be 1 inch from bottom edge of cloth.

 

R. E. WOOD,

Acting Quartermaster General.

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Cliff,

Great stuff!  Thanks for providing those references. Below is some more information from another Army publication which further muddies this insignia versus badge discussion--as expressed within the context of Aviation devices and the Army in the WW1 era:

 

Quote

 

SPECIAL REGULATIONS NO. 41, REGULATIONS FOR THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY 1917 

 

27. INSIGNIA OF DETAILED, DETACHED, AND UN-ASSIGNED OFFICERS. 

(e) Officers detailed in the Aviation Section and qualified as military aviators will wear the double, or if qualified as junior military aviators the single, wing shield over their left breast.

 

64. OTHER MEDALS AND BADGES

(o) Officers detailed in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps will wear the following insignia to show their qualification:  Military aviator, a silver-embroidered, double-wing shield on the left breast, above the line prescribed for badges and medals. Junior military aviator, a single-wing, silver-embroidered shield on the left Brest, above the line prescribed for badges and medals.

 

96. INSIGNIA ON SLEEVE.

(k) Aviation service.  Enlisted men of the Aviation Service will wear embroidered insignia on the right sleeve just below the shoulder as follows: Enlisted men in the Aviation Section will wear a white, embroidered insignia with crossed propellers, with the number of their squadron above, on blue background, on the upper right sleeve. Aviation mechanicians will have in addition a white, embroidered circle around the propellers.  Enlisted aviators will wear an insignia with double wing, crossed propellers, with the numerical designation of the squadron embroidered on the blue background on the upper right sleeve.

 

 

Which just goes to show that even within a single regulation, in this case Special Regulation No. 41, the Army in 1917 itself demonstrated a certain amount of inconsistency with respect to whether aviation devices were to be labeled badges or insignia. In this one reference alone, wings are first listed under the heading for Insignia of Detailed, Detached, and Un-Assigned Officers.  Later, they are listed under Other Medals and Badges (but within the paragraph the Army again calls the wing devices "insignia" and further clarifies that they should be worn above badges). 

 

So are they badges or insignia?  I think that given the relative newness of aviation in this early era, some of this inconsistency and confusion was possibly warranted.  As another data point, the Nov 16, 1915 Rock Island Arsenal Drawing for the original Military Aviator device, distinctly labels that particular device as a "badge."  At least someone in the Army thought that aviation devices should be considered badges!  Still as you rightly point out, even in the 1917 regulations, the Enlisted Aviator device is only ever referred to as an insignia.  Yet, there are period photographs of enlisted men wearing aviation devices on their chests (in badge fashion).

 

Campbell maintained that insignia was part of the uniform, while a badge was something a soldier had to earn.  Yet, the regulation above specifically calls out "insignia to show their qualification."  Thus there may also be a certain amount of interchangeability with respect to the two terms--at least in 1917.  By WW2 this matter was cleared up and all aviation devices, officer and enlisted, were appropriately designated Aviation Badges.  

 

Perhaps only collectors such as we would even bother to discuss the distinction!?!

 

I have to admit, my arbitrary labelling the Enlisted Aviator wing a "badge" versus an "insignia" above is less about the regulations and more related to how I believe Enlisted Aviators perceived themselves and the status of their wings.  After demonstrating their skills and thus having earned the right to wear their wings, these few men must have proudly traded their Mechanician's insignia for that of an Enlisted Aviator.  

 

Best wishes and thanks again!

 

Chris

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On 9/19/2020 at 2:28 PM, cwnorma said:

Enlisted Aviator Insignia

 

One of the toughest to find, most often commonly faked. . . . 

 

Yes, a good number of WW1 Enlisted Aviator insignias (patches) have been faked to muddy the waters; however, here is one that actually belonged to Robert O. Lindsay prior to his becoming a 2nd Lieutenant, RMA in the U. S. Army Air Service.  From Madison, NC, he was assigned to the 139th Pursuit Squadron and achieved 6 aerial victories to become the only Ace in World War One from the State of North Carolina.   

 

presley enlisted aviator frtlg.jpg

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The enlisted aviator insignia/badge is an interesting one.  I always look for pictures of potential enlisted aviators, but I don't think I have seen one.  I know that (IIRC) the Air and Space Museum or Air Force Museum has the uniform of William Beigel, who was an enlisted aviator in WWI on display.

 

From my reading, I think you can broadly divide the question of enlisted aviators into two era, pre-WWI aviation in the US and late WWI aviation and training of AEF personnel in France.


When the US began to train aviators to fly, because of the novelty of aviator, you had a very few number of very novice pilots (relatively speaking) who were training new, even more novice cadets how to fly.  Mix into that group, all sorts of mechanics, engineers, junior and senior officers of various abilities, civilian pilots and a murky idea of what military aviation was going to be like, it isn't surprising that there was some confusion about who was going to be a pilot and who wasn't.  I believe that a number of early pilots in that time period started out as enlisted men and then were commissioned. In fact, I believe that early on, the British initially viewed pilots as being more akin to drivers, whilst officers were to be used for the more "important" tasks of observation and communication.  In any case, I suspect that in the USA between 1912 and 1918 or so, there would have been a mix of cadets being trained to become pilots, enlisted and commissioned personnel, such as aviation mechanics, instructors and engineers participating in aircraft and tactic development in a "para-pilot" role (sometimes they may have had to do some flying themselves) and military aviators learning their trade.

 

I think that there is more than a little evidence that some enlisted men were trained as pilots, or maybe had already some civilian training as pilots, but what they wore on their uniform seems much less clear.  I do know that it isn't that hard to find "unit numbered" aviation mechanic sleeve patches.  Most of those units seem to have been late war Aerosquadrons which never made it overseas.

 

In the AEF, we tend to think that most of the Aerosquadrons showed up in France, England, or Italy ready to go to the front.  In fact, most of the AEF aviation section first got training in a number of training schools, where the American pilots were linked up with their airplanes and learned tactics from the much more experienced British and French pilots.  It also seems evident that other pilots and observers were recruited and trained from other units, so that the overall number of WWI pilots and observers from the US may actually be underestimated.  For example, there is evidence (and periodically uniforms that you see) showing that some Corps recruited liaison pilots and artillery observers from outside the various Aerosquadrons.  There were also more than a few aviators/aviation personnel who had been flying with foreign air forces, coming back to the AEF once the Americans arrived.

 

To my knowledge there were no American enlisted pilots who flew combat, but I suspect that there would have been a few senior NCO pilots who could have/would have been used in various ferry/liaison/training purposes during the war.  Again, to my knowledge, I do not recall seeing any vintage photographs of an enlisted pilot in France. I suspect that they are very rare due to the few enlisted aviators who were there.

 

This is a (I believe) relatively rare postcard/photo of an aviation mechanic and his brother.  I believe it was taken just after the war in France (or maybe stateside). It seems to me that the poor fellow missing his arm has a couple of overseas chevrons and is perhaps wearing a morning band for another brother who died?  You can't see if the other brother has any overseas chevrons. 

 

Thanks for posting this very interesting thread.  IMHO, I always look at the vast majority of these enlisted pilot badges/insignia as being suspect.

 

 

1798078_10205585250140434_2594961354838972365_n.jpg

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7 hours ago, pfrost said:

IMHO, I always look at the vast majority of these enlisted pilot badges/insignia as being suspect.

Patrick,

 

I think that is a very sensible approach to these.  I give the same advice to anyone considering one.  

 

Chris

 

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I suspect that the number of "official" enlisted pilots may have numbered between about 20-30 fellows before and during WWI who were actually flying military aircraft.  Maybe there were a few more "unofficial" enlisted pilots during this time, who were involved in various training or development roles. The question is what was happening in 1917 when the enlisted badge/insignia was authorized?  It seems that to me that some/most of these enlisted pilots were likely awarded a commission and would have worn the RMA/JrMA badge with the war starting.

 

Was this enlisted pilot rating also used overseas?  I believe that very few American pilots went directly to the front (and those that did may have already had some previous training flying with the RFC or the Lafayette Escadrille) and so the idea that any enlisted pilots were sent over with the AEF seems dubious.


That being said, since many of the Aerosquadrons would have needed support for repair and maintenance of their planes, it is possible that these groups would have also needed training of associated aviation engineers and mechanics in the performance of British and French airplanes that the Air Instructional Centers (AIC)s were using to train the new AEF arrivals.  Thus, I can see that some of these senior NCO's may have been undergoing instruction at this time.  Again, it doesn't seem to far fetched that some of these enlisted fellows may have already been trained as pilots and could have done some duty in ferrying or instruction.  Maybe they would have worn the enlisted pilot badge/insignia.

 

Again, I suspect that the actual number of enlisted pilots would have numbered in the teens/twenties.  Far fewer than would explain the relative "common" nature of these enlisted badges/insignia.  It would be great to see an actual wartime photo of one of these wings being worn.

 

P

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Gents - Good afternoon. It's been a while...

 

I have an extreme interest in documenting those EM aviators who served overseas, particularly photos of them wearing their wings in theater. I'll share some!

 

Below is a collage of EM pilots that fit the bill. 

IMG_1742.JPG.ec205661f11d557275558e8f082706b3.JPG

The top image are 5 enlisted pilots attending a burial ceremony at Coblenz (the fifth EM aviator got cut off when I cropped the scan) - no names. Bottom left image is a to-be-determined EM pilot who was WIA. The guy in the middle opted for a full sized set of pilot wings to tantalize us all of these years later. His name was Sgt. Charles R. Souza who served with 15th Co., 3rd AS Mech. Rgt. Last but not least, is a 7th AS EM pilot sporting every bit of insignia he could muster on the text book right shoulder sleeve. Fun thing about the 7th AS is that they served exclusively in the Panama Canal Zone during the war. 

As for EM pilots flying combat missions, I have since learned it happened more frequently than I could have imagined. For instance, the 20th AS had 4 EM aviators alone who flew combat missions: Cpl. Raymond C. Alexander (there was an earlier post on the USMF about him which included his medals & a portrait), Sgt. Claude Brodeur, Pvt. Hoyt M. Fleming (hmmm...I wonder if that's my guy in the unidentified WIA pilot pic) and a Sgt. Fred C. Gravelines.

The 11st AS had three on their roster: Pvt. Jacobs, Pvt. Newby & a Sgt. Van Rossum, all w/o a first name listed. No problem though...should be able to verify via Gorrell's. 

Those are just two squadrons with EM aviators on their roster. I'm sure as my work progresses, I'll be able to add more names to the list. 

-Chuck

 

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I agree with Patrick... Wonderful images Chuck!  Thank you for your efforts to share those outstanding Enlisted Pilot images...

With Chuck, Cliff and Chris posting again, life is finally returning to normal!  Thank you all!

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On 9/22/2020 at 8:56 PM, rustywings said:

I agree with Patrick... Wonderful images Chuck!  Thank you for your efforts to share those outstanding Enlisted Pilot images...

With Chuck, Cliff and Chris posting again, life is finally returning to normal!  Thank you all!

 

My pleasure (you too Patrick). I think it's a topic I can exploit in a future article...

 

Thanks to Chris' hard work posting all of these WWI aviation topics again, I too feel the love ;)

-Chuck

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