WWI & WWII US Naval Aviation wings

[Flightwings]

Hey guys, is there a definitive thread on known WWI or WWII period US Navy aviation wings? I've been looking at a lot of threads that have specific info on some manufacturers or a specific wing, but not seen a complete (as much as possible) visual of the WWI or the WWII Navy wings. If I am missing it, please excuse my blindness. As hard as I have tried not to be, I think I am now interested in them and want to see what good variations/manufaturers are available and learn as much as I can. Any help ALWAYS appreciated.

 

Gerard

[cwnorma]

Gerard,

 

This subject is a really, really tough nut.  

 

For one thing, with NA wings there was no neat, convenient period analogous to the Army Air Service where certain distinct wings existed for an approximately 18 month period.  Instead, NA wings remained largely the same with only an evolution in certain details that more or less culminated with the re-design that included the "berries" in the shoulder (in 1941-I believe, someone can correct me to 100% on that)

 

My personal theory is nearly every Pre-WW2 pattern Naval Aviator badge die was cut before the end of WW1.  There are three factors that contribute to this theory: 1) The Army and Navy were mobilizing in late 1918 for major, planned 1919 Spring offensives.  Over 10,000 Naval Aviation cadets were in various stages of training when the war ended.  2) Like the Army, Naval Aviation vastly decreased its footprint between the wars.  I assume most dies were cut in late 1918 by manufacturers anticipating of the coming need--only to have the war end.  Finally, 3) large manufacturers with national and regional reach (Robbins, and Bailey Banks and Biddle) produced tremendous volume of NA badges and were able to sell versions wholesale to jewelers near Naval Aviation concentration areas--making it unnecessary for a local jeweler to go to the expense and trouble of commissioning their own die.  Unless specific factory records can be found, with respect to certain badges that are often thought to date "between the wars" we will probably never know for certain.

 

Similarly, the Robbins die was known to have been freshened (at least twice), each time changing its character.  Although a rough timeline can be estimated, no exact date of each freshening is known.  Again here, collectors have to decide whether an early NA badge fits in WW1, between the wars, or WW2.  Without direct evidence it sometimes ends up being a question of, "Well this guys career lines up with these dates so this badge fits there".  More "art" than "science".

 

This is also true with respect to bullion.  There are esoteric differences between bullion made before the Germans destroyed the French Bullion Factories in Lyons.  So, inspection of the types of bullion can be used to date bullion as pre or post 1940.  Also, Most collectors believe that a row of 3 Xs (representing stars) on the shield means WW2 where if there are 6 Xs, that is WW1.  Some WW1 badges have no Xs so you really have to study these to get a handle on where they fit.

 

The evolution of Naval Aviator badges is fascinating, but there is a lot of blurring between the eras.

 

Warm regards!

 

Chris

[Flightwings]

14 minutes ago, cwnorma said:

Gerard,

 

This subject is a really, really tough nut.  

 

For one thing, with NA wings there was no neat, convenient period analogous to the Army Air Service where certain distinct wings existed for an approximately 18 month period.  Instead, NA wings remained largely the same with only an evolution in certain details that more or less culminated with the re-design that included the "berries" in the shoulder (in 1941-I believe, someone can correct me to 100% on that)

 

My personal theory is nearly every Pre-WW2 pattern Naval Aviator badge die was cut before the end of WW1.  There are three factors that contribute to this theory: 1) The Army and Navy were mobilizing in late 1918 for major, planned 1919 Spring offensives.  Over 10,000 Naval Aviation cadets were in various stages of training when the war ended.  2) Like the Army, Naval Aviation vastly decreased its footprint between the wars.  I assume most dies were cut in late 1918 by manufacturers anticipating of the coming need--only to have the war end.  Finally, 3) large manufacturers with national and regional reach (Robbins, and Bailey Banks and Biddle) produced tremendous volume of NA badges and were able to sell versions wholesale to jewelers near Naval Aviation concentration areas--making it unnecessary for a local jeweler to go to the expense and trouble of commissioning their own die.  Unless specific factory records can be found, with respect to certain badges that are often thought to date "between the wars" we will probably never know for certain.

 

Similarly, the Robbins die was known to have been freshened (at least twice), each time changing its character.  Although a rough timeline can be estimated, no exact date of each freshening is known.  Again here, collectors have to decide whether an early NA badge fits in WW1, between the wars, or WW2.  Without direct evidence it sometimes ends up being a question of, "Well this guys career lines up with these dates so this badge fits there".  More "art" than "science".

 

This is also true with respect to bullion.  There are esoteric differences between bullion made before the Germans destroyed the French Bullion Factories in Lyons.  So, inspection of the types of bullion can be used to date bullion as pre or post 1940.  Also, Most collectors believe that a row of 3 Xs (representing stars) on the shield means WW2 where if there are 6 Xs, that is WW1.  Some WW1 badges have no Xs so you really have to study these to get a handle on where they fit.

 

The evolution of Naval Aviator badges is fascinating, but there is a lot of blurring between the eras.

 

Warm regards!

 

Chris

Chris, that's great information and there would seem to be a lot to study. I am also interested in what original WWII and before era wings/diff manufacturers look like. I noticed some were obviously made into the Korean conflict, and that they may have been made in WWII. Also noting the 1954 military manufacturer numbering system. I think I want to be able to determine a good/original possible wartime wing from a probable postwar or fake. I see the most common seems to be H&H and LGB. I will try to obtain those first and see if I haven't made a mistake. Any other advice appreciated.

 

Gerard

[pfrost]

LIke what Chris said.

 

USN wings are fun to try to figure out how many of them can dance on the head of a pin.  

This was an old thread that I tried to use as a generally basis for "dating" Navy Aviator wings.... but I find that this is more guess than fact and should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

 

This is a good thread for general information on post WWI up to WWII USN and US Army wings.

 

 

There are also a multitude of Robbins USN wing related threads:
 

 

and 

 

 

Link made some distinctive USN wings around WWI and into the 20's.

 

 

Tiffany and BB&B wings are also highly sought after and probably were made primarily in WWI

 

 

 

That should start you up, research wise.

 

 

[B-17Guy]

I used to write lots of wing articles for ASMIC’s publication, the “Trading Post”.

One that may be of help to you was in the 2013 “Best of the Best” special issue.

The approach to the article, was a basic guide to known wing patterns (pilot and aviator) from WWI-WWII, Army and Navy, wit some historical development notes.

You might find it helpful, here is a copy on eBay, # 166399245881

 

John

[Tolzer]

WWI Naval Aviator Wing attributed to the maker, Robert Stoll.  

This unique pattern features 13 stars on the top of the shield, and is noticeably longer than all other NA wings of the era at 3 1/4". 

[Flightwings]

7 hours ago, B-17Guy said:

I used to write lots of wing articles for ASMIC’s publication, the “Trading Post”.

One that may be of help to you was in the 2013 “Best of the Best” special issue.

The approach to the article, was a basic guide to known wing patterns (pilot and aviator) from WWI-WWII, Army and Navy, wit some historical development notes.

You might find it helpful, here is a copy on eBay, # 166399245881

 

John

Thanks John, the link didn't work, but trying to find it I found it may be Oct-Dec 2013, Best of the Best #2 ?

 

-Gerard

[bschwartz]

1 hour ago, Flightwings said:

it may be Oct-Dec 2013, Best of the Best #2 ?

 

-Gerard

 

Yes, that's the issue.

[B-17Guy]

8 hours ago, Flightwings said:

Thanks John, the link didn't work, but trying to find it I found it may be Oct-Dec 2013, Best of the Best #2 ?

 

-Gerard

If you copy and paste that number into the search window on eBay it will take you right to it. Think seller has a number of copies, pretty inexpensive.

You might also consider joining ASMIC.

Hooe that helps.

John

[Usa1918]

That’s a nice looking wing Tolzer

 

Keith

[AmHistoryFan]

@Tolzer When I was at the WW1 Museum in Kansas City a few months back I took a picture of these wings and couldn’t put a name to the maker. This wing looks a lot like the Stoll made example you shared. I wasn’t able to get a picture of the back. 

[bschwartz]

Here is a hallmarked version from my site: https://www.ww2wings.com/wings/wwi/us/presleynavy1.shtml

[Flightwings]

Awesome thread guys! John

On 2/14/2026 at 7:21 PM, B-17Guy said:

If you copy and paste that number into the search window on eBay it will take you right to it. Think seller has a number of copies, pretty inexpensive.

You might also consider joining ASMIC.

Hooe that helps.

John

Awesome thread guys, there is a lot to learn. John, I got your article from the Trading Post, very good basis of info to start out. Seeing them in one list is really helpful for identification. My first Navy wings arrived, I thought I would post. To me, these match known vintage examples, but please, feel free to critique or call out something wrong. We are all here to learn.

 

Gerard

 

1.HH/Imperial flat back

2.1-20-10k on sterling, no maker

 

[Flightwings]

second batch

 

1.Pancraft

2.HH/Imperial hollow back

3.Amcraft (unmarked) snowflake with "acid test"

[B-17Guy]

Great start on your Aviator collection.

 I hope your find my article helpful, it was a lengthy undertaking.

By the way, one correction to the article.

At the time I wrote it in 2013, we still believed that the JO back mark was O’Brien.

Of course since then, a Josiah Odence piece of insignia was found on an original card identifying the true maker.

Look forward to more finds!
…and remember, to quote the movie “The Right Stuff” when just before meeting Alan Shepard in the movie,…”They call them Aviator’s in the Navy. They say they are better than Pilots!”. 😁

John

[Flightwings]

2 hours ago, B-17Guy said:

Great start on your Aviator collection.

 I hope your find my article helpful, it was a lengthy undertaking.

By the way, one correction to the article.

At the time I wrote it in 2013, we still believed that the JO back mark was O’Brien.

Of course since then, a Josiah Odence piece of insignia was found on an original card identifying the true maker.

Look forward to more finds!
…and remember, to quote the movie “The Right Stuff” when just before meeting Alan Shepard in the movie,…”They call them Aviator’s in the Navy. They say they are better than Pilots!”. 😁

John

John, the article is great. Probably the best, if not only, all in one place book to see the majority of the variety of the wings by manufacturer in color! Kudos, it's brilliant! Only thing I hope for the future would be a book with all know variations and backs, kinda like Bob's site actually. Thanks for directing me to your excellent resource material.

 

Gerard

[bschwartz]

The reason I created my site instead of trying to create a book is that you'll never have all the known variants and backs. New stuff keeps popping up all the time. I wanted my site to be a living resource for collectors so as new things pop up I could add them out there quickly. Hard to do that with a book. John's article in the Trading Post is an amazing resource and a great launching pad for spending all your money. I second his comment that you are off to a great start with your collection. I've found that collecting Naval Aviator wings is nowhere near as popular as collecting Army Air Force wings so you can sometimes sneak a bargain here or there which doesn't happen as often with the AAF stuff. Enjoy the hunt.

[The Rooster]

1 hour ago, bschwartz said:

The reason I created my site instead of trying to create a book is that you'll never have all the known variants and backs. New stuff keeps popping up all the time. I wanted my site to be a living resource for collectors so as new things pop up I could add them out there quickly. Hard to do that with a book. John's article in the Trading Post is an amazing resource and a great launching pad for spending all your money. I second his comment that you are off to a great start with your collection. I've found that collecting Naval Aviator wings is nowhere near as popular as collecting Army Air Force wings so you can sometimes sneak a bargain here or there which doesn't happen as often with the AAF stuff. Enjoy the hunt.

Hello Bob,

I want to thank you very much for your great website. Im not actively collecting wings right now, but

when I was, your site was my solid gold turn to when considering purchases.

Its a very kind and generous service you provide to wing collectors.

Thank you!

Dave

[bschwartz]

Thank you Dave, that's very kind. I always enjoy hearing that people appreciate the site. There are so many people on these forums who have been generous with sharing their collections that make it the valuable resource that it has become. Would be quite a boring site if it was jut the items in my personal collection.