WW2 Flight Nurse Wing Display [Visit to NMUSAF]

[cwnorma]

While in Dayton, OH, I had an opportunity to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  I spotted this small display of scarce WW2 era Flight Nurse wing badges:

 

 

Chris

[5thwingmarty]

These are misleading descriptions, as it implies an order of when these patterns came into being.  Is this "1st Pattern" even a real WWII Meyer or a restrike?  Why is the "4th Pattern" associated with the W.A.C.?

[cwnorma]

Marty,

 

I can't speak to the specifics of the Flight Nurse badge exhibit, but have been told for years that for the folks who run NMUSAF, it's ALL about the aircraft.  While they do have an extensive painted jacket collection, it is my understanding (apocryphal?) that a previous director had to be ordered to display their A-2 collection.  Even today, the jackets can be found in a corridor between exhibit halls--near the bathrooms.  Although; I will allow that the display is in a high foot-traffic area.  I once read that the staff took some real WW2 USAAF coveralls and dyed them black to represent German mechanics working on an ME-109.  It seems, at the very least, the staff considers non-aircraft material to be somewhat ancillary.

 

Perhaps the most egregious "bad" item I spotted at NMUSAF may have been this:

 

 

Several sources state that NMUSAF owns at least one original 1913 badge.  If so, none are on display.  Hopefully, it wasn't stolen from the public and sitting in a private collection somewhere...

 

Museums can indeed be a mixed bag!  And, my intent was certainly not to bash NMUSAF.  On the one hand; museums represent an opportunity to experience things the public would never otherwise see.  It is unquestionable NMUSAF's aircraft collection is indeed world-class!  Unfortunately (for preservationists--like collectors!), almost all modern museums have evolved to a primarily "Educational" mission and moved away from mere preservation.  While in Dayton, I also visited the Wright Brothers National Museum.  The original museum was a simple, neo-classical, temple-like structure primarily consisting of a large hall showcasing the Wright-C aircraft (Orville considered the C, the first with ability to land and re-launch, to be the brothers' most important early development):

 

 

 

At one time, people would have travelled to Dayton merely to marvel at the aircraft.  But I suppose the public's taste changed over time.  It is true that airplanes (in general) became somewhat ubiquitous.  By the 1970s, an interactive reconstruction of the Wright's bicycle shop was built adjacent to the original hall.  The interactive bicycle shop walk through reconstruction now serves as the only entrance to the exhibits.  You will be educated.

 

Chris

 

 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

17 hours ago, cwnorma said:

While in Dayton, OH, I had an opportunity to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  I spotted this small display of scarce WW2 era Flight Nurse wing badges:

 

 

Chris

 

I agree with Marty. Don't understand this description of pattern types either. If only the curator that created this was on our site we could discuss!

[5thwingmarty]

Did the museum have a display that showed examples of all the different ratings of wings from WWII?  I feel like they used to, but it has been many years since I have been there.  

[cwnorma]

12 minutes ago, 5thwingmarty said:

Did the museum have a display that showed examples of all the different ratings of wings from WWII?  I feel like they used to, but it has been many years since I have been there.  

Marty,

 

Not that I could find.

 

Chris