Officer's Equipment Co. Jump Wings Period of Issuance?

[Persian Gulf Command]

Apologies for starting a new thread about these unique design Officer's Equipment Company Jump Wings but I'd like some definitive opinions regarding their period of issuance.

I recently acquired this pinbacked version stamped STERLING. I have seen other pinback versions with the Co. Hallmark as well as post-WW2 clasp back versions.

 

So, please offer opinions regarding period of manufacture and/or the issuance and distribution, of pinback versions stamped w/ STERLING vs. Sterling w/ Officers Equipment Company - Hallmarked?

 

BTW, I really think this OEC design is a striking variation of the of the WW2 "Major Yardorough" adopted Paratrooper Badge design and here are detailed photos of the Wings I just purchased:

 

 

 

 

[triplecanopy]

It is just my opinion and not based on any documentation, but If I had to date these wings, I would say that they are post WWII to mid 1950's. During the 1950's both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were on jump status. Troopers wanted to look 'STRAC' so some deviations to regulations were tolerated like completely buffing off the detail on wings. I agree, this design is certainly attractive and different.

[Tonomachi]

I agree with triplecanopy regarding the era that these paratrooper wings were produced.  Having said this there is one hallmarked, "LUXENBERG NEW YORK STERLING" that has surfaced within the past couple of years that might have been produced during WW2 (photos 1, 2 & 3).  I initially thought this was a made up piece because in all the years (40 plus) that I have been searching for variants of US paratrooper wings for my collection you would have thought that I would have seen one of these pop up for sale.  However an expert of paratrooper wings is very confident that they are genuine.  I believe two have surfaced so far as well as a bunch of copies.  My guess is that they were maybe prototypes or a few samples commissioned by someone during WW2 but that they never went into mass production.  If they are genuine then they are one of the if not rarest paratrooper wings out there.

 

I found one of these wings hallmarked, "STERLING OFFICER EQUIP. CO." on a beat up 1950s era USMC uniform (photo 4 & 5) and is probably the earliest version of this wing had the Luxenberg variant not surfaced.   Later they were produced in all three grades and hallmarked, "OFFICERS EQUIP. CO." without "STERLING".  They were made of a copper or brass alloy with an antique silver coating (photos 6 thru 11).  I have never come across a senior or master grade wing hallmarked, "STERLING" only "OFFICERS EQUIP. CO." which is why I feel they came after the "OFFICER EQUIP. CO. STERLING" wings which I have only ever come across in basic.  

 

You also come across versions that are only hallmarked, "STERLING" without the manufacture's name (photo 12 & 13).   The dies may have exchanged hands as I read somewhere that the Officers Equipment Company of today that produces USN and USMC insignia is not the same company that produced the wings in photos 4 through 11.   I believe the first Officers Equipment Company went out of business.  This might explain why the Hilborn-Hamburger Insignia Company, also out of New York, produced a 1960s clutch back version of this wing with their H&H Eagle Logo incised above the hallmark, "STERLING 307" (photos 14, 15 & 16).   I found what looks like a more modern version of this wing hallmarked, "OFFICERS EQUIP. CO." with the bright shinny finish required for current wear on uniforms (photo 17 & 18).  So did the second Officers Equipment Company get their dies back from H&H?  

 

I have photos of the dies that produced these paratrooper wings which I believe I copied off of eBay where they were being offered for sale (photo 19 & 20).  So this means someone is probably producing copies of this style wing.   I have seen one that popped up for sale (Photo 21 & 22) within the last couple of years that I believe is a reproductions.  The finish isn't right and looks skinnier than the originals.  So as they say buyer beware.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Allan H.]

I have one of this pattern that is only marked sterling on the reverse that came directly from a 17th A/B veteran of the 460th PFA. He did not serve post war. That has given me the opinion that the design did date to WWII.

 

As an aside, I most definitely handled a Luxenberg jump wing that was still in the hands of the veteran's son. I posted about the wing on one of the threads on this pattern wing probably ten years ago.

 

Allan

[Persian Gulf Command]

Thank all of you for your responses. Allan's statement regarding a set of the STERLING stamped OEC design wings, being attributed to a veteran who served w/ the 17th A/B would seem definitive regarding the issuance of this style of wings.  I can also accept that the style was issued post war as well.

 

Regarding the set I now own, as soon as I opened the package and was able to examine the pin design and patina it was comparable to all my other WW2 Paratrooper Badges.

 

On a speculative note, given the clutch back examples have the OEC Hallmark, could pinback examples w/ the OEC Hallmark be more likely of a post-WW2 manufacture?