Help with Bancroft crusher visor with partial legible ID

[shao]

I picked up this visor a couple years ago and subsequently discovered some markings in the under-visor corner that if legitimate, might reveal who a prior owner may have been. Unfortunately, my basic research skills have been no avail, but I'm hoping someone with better research kung fu might help.  From what I can see, and may not be visible in the pic, is W.J. El_ins, or Ewins; Major A.C. (which I'm guessing is air crew); and the number 0 (or letter O?) 236787, or 2361787, or 2351787. I suppose it may never be known who the wearer of this visor was, but any help would be appreciated. He seems to have been a righty based on visor wear and had a largish noggin based on the 7 1/2 inch size,  

[dmar836]

AC = Air Corps

Nice cap.

[warguy]

Agree that is a nice Bancroft

[dmar836]

There is info out there about the patent pending mark being either intra- or post-war. Cant' remember which. 

[AZPhil]

I got this from another site I frequent.

 

" You can identify whether a Bancroft Flighter cap is wartime or post WWII, as the leafing or heat stamp on the sweatshield will read ‘pat.pend’ for wartime hats, while post-war had the patent number printed."

 

Great looking Crusher shao!!!!

 

Semper Fi

Phil 

[shao]

Thanks all for the affirmation. For better or for worse though, it doesn't fit my head, haha.

 

Just to clarify, and hopefully not off forum topic, I cannot find anyone with variations of the above listed names and numbers in NARA enlistment records, which as I understand, would not be atypical for a pre-war enlistee (as I suspect is the case here). In that case, without having a definitive ID, is it therefore not possible to track down an ID with existing info? Does anyone know if there's a roster of all army/air force officers as of certain dates, or any other resource that might be of aid? Thanks again for the interest and information.

[Alex Boban]

Nice looking cap! Could you post additional pics of the ID markings? A different angle or lighting might help confirm the name or serial.

 

One way to confirm the ID on this cap would be to confirm the last name and initials first, and run the name through the Air Force Award Cards, 1942-1963 (Available online on NARA) There's a chance he was awarded the AM or DFC during his service. Each card typically includes full name, serial number and additional info. 

 

I was able to positively ID another flighter using this process.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

 

[shao]

Thanks Alex for the very helpful tip. No luck yet with this officer, but I've been able to successfully look up the awards for others already. I'm guessing that if I can't track him down in that database, and I think there's enough info to make a solid attempt, that he may have flown a desk, so to speak. Not that there's anything wrong with that.