WASP Leather Wings

[BUFF Rider]

Hi, Has anyone seen WASP leather wings? I purchased this vintage Fifinella work shirt patch that came with a leather WASP wings. The wings look like a movie prop to me, but I wouldn't want to discard them if the are real. Thanks for any replies, Tom

[Bodes]

IF the stamp on the back stands for "B&L ENT." (Entertainment?), then I would agree it's likely a prop....Bodes

[BUFF Rider]

Hi Bodes, Thanks for the reply. My main questions are, did the WASPs ever use leather wings on their flight jackets, and is the work shirt patch period? I have not seen a movie with any WASP pilot characters, nor any photos of WASPs with leather wings on their jackets. Also, the few WASP work shirt patches that I have seen for sale online are bad versions of the Fifinella, with her face distorted. The back of the patch that I have is similar to WW2 period patch embroidery, and the Fifinella looks more like the larger flight jacket patch (just inside the circle instead of over it). Tom

[Noelle]

19 hours ago, BUFF Rider said:

Hi Bodes, Thanks for the reply. My main questions are, did the WASPs ever use leather wings on their flight jackets, and is the work shirt patch period? I have not seen a movie with any WASP pilot characters, nor any photos of WASPs with leather wings on their jackets. Also, the few WASP work shirt patches that I have seen for sale online are bad versions of the Fifinella, with her face distorted. The back of the patch that I have is similar to WW2 period patch embroidery, and the Fifinella looks more like the larger flight jacket patch (just inside the circle instead of over it). Tom

 

Peacock is working on a miniseries called Avenger Field starring Renee Zellweger as Jackie Cochran.  According to the director of the WASP Museum in Sweetwater, who I spoke to on one of my trips there last year, the writers were there the day before to research, though did disclose that it’ll be “heavily fictionalized,” said in a tone that reflected how I felt—here we’re gonna go with people who see a tv show/movie/play loosely inspired by real events, thinking that it’s a documentary and that they’re now experts on something.  $10 says they leave out Nancy who most people forget entirely even though she started the WAFS before Jackie got annoyed and started the WFTD.

 

So…yeah, there is a miniseries about the WASP in development.

[BUFF Rider]

Hi Noelle, Thanks for the information on the miniseries, I will keep an eye out for it. And I do agree the heavily fictionalized movies about real events do give a distorted look of history, but sometimes that is all some people who are not really interested in history get to learn about events of the past. I like picking up US military items that I have not seen before, and doing research on them. Research and learning are more important to me than the items themselves (I usually end up giving the items to museums). Tom