Sabrejet Posted October 30, 2009 Share #1 Posted October 30, 2009 The attached images show my collection of embroidered USAAF qualification wings on both OD 51 gaberdine and khaki cotton. I've always been intrigued by these. Obviously, they exist..but who used them?! I've pored over 1000s of images of USAAF personnel over the years but apart from a few pilots in the Pacific theatre with such wings sewn on to their khaki shirts, they seem to be conspicuous by their absence! All are full-size 3" wings and are very well detailed. Even such grades as Senior Balloon Pilot were evidently manufactured...and I'm sure there weren't that many men who would even qualify for such a wing by WW2! The nicest one illustrated here is the bullion Bombardier wing, still in its cellophane packet...presumably a tailor-shop example? I suppose the bottom line is, if you're going to wear a wing with your "pinks and greens", is it going to be a nice shiny silver Luxenberg or an embroidered one? No contest...!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share #2 Posted October 30, 2009 Bullion embroidered Bombardier's wing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted October 30, 2009 Wings on a khaki cotton backing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted October 30, 2009 Share #4 Posted October 30, 2009 I have a set of AAF Gunner wings on Khaki, then I have a enlisted wool shirt with a AAF SSI and a set of embrordried on black felt wings sewn on the shirt. I asked the same question here and got no answers. A mystery for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobrahistorian Posted October 30, 2009 Share #5 Posted October 30, 2009 I've got several myself. Unfortunately because there were SO many produced and very few people actually wore them, there are still bales upon bales of them in existence. I've seen them a few times on shirts, but very rarely on Class A jackets. Of course bullion wings are a completely different story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted October 30, 2009 Share #6 Posted October 30, 2009 Duncan Campbell talked about these cloth wings in his book many years ago and in a couple of magazine articles he wrote. I do have a 4 pocket service coat to a S/Sgt who served in the CBI & Far East Air Forces, that does have a set of enlisted crew wings sewn on above the ribbons. This coat came out of a VFW throw-away pile about 25 years ago, so I don't think it was messed with. I've always thought these cloth embroidered wings were ment to be used on shirts and coats used for everyday wear. There are surviving examples of officer & enlisted collat brass made like this, but those do appear on old uniforms a LOT more often than the embroidered wings. Maybe these were intended to be the cheap cousins to the more expensive bullion wings? No matter what, they are good looking and are not too hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted October 30, 2009 Share #7 Posted October 30, 2009 Just yesterday I saw a USAF shirt made of that same material, so such wings would've looked right on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk3370 Posted October 30, 2009 Share #8 Posted October 30, 2009 Duncan Campbell talked about these cloth wings in his book many years ago and in a couple of magazine articles he wrote. I do have a 4 pocket service coat to a S/Sgt who served in the CBI & Far East Air Forces, that does have a set of enlisted crew wings sewn on above the ribbons. This coat came out of a VFW throw-away pile about 25 years ago, so I don't think it was messed with. I've always thought these cloth embroidered wings were ment to be used on shirts and coats used for everyday wear. There are surviving examples of officer & enlisted collat brass made like this, but those do appear on old uniforms a LOT more often than the embroidered wings. Maybe these were intended to be the cheap cousins to the more expensive bullion wings?No matter what, they are good looking and are not too hard to find. Lee, A short story about these wings, the first time I went to Duncan's house with a friend of mine, he invited us to go into his basement where he kept his collection. After spending a couple hours going through his magnificant collection he motioned for us to come into another room. There in the corner was a washing machine size box about three quarters full of these cloth insignia. He reached in and grabbed several handfuls putting them in a paper bad and handed each of us a bag. He said he had been trying to get rid of them since the war. Shortly after the end of WW2 he was on a road trip and went into a tailor shop inquiring about military insignia. The owner produced a cigar box full of these wings and commented that he had some more boxes of them in the back. Duncan asked him what he would take for the entire lot and a deal was struck. Being on the road Duncan asked if the man could ship the boxes to his house which he did. Duncan expected two or three cigar boxes to arrive in the mail. A short time after he arrived home a delivery arrived which consisted of several huge boxes with hundreds of these embroidered insignia. I still have a couple dozen left from that visit. Incidently Duncan stated that during the war these embroidered badges actually cost more than the metal pin on badges. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk3370 Posted October 30, 2009 Share #9 Posted October 30, 2009 The attached images show my collection of embroidered USAAF qualification wings on both OD 51 gaberdine and khaki cotton. I've always been intrigued by these. Obviously, they exist..but who used them?! I've pored over 1000s of images of USAAF personnel over the years but apart from a few pilots in the Pacific theatre with such wings sewn on to their khaki shirts, they seem to be conspicuous by their absence! All are full-size 3" wings and are very well detailed. Even such grades as Senior Balloon Pilot were evidently manufactured...and I'm sure there weren't that many men who would even qualify for such a wing by WW2! The nicest one illustrated here is the bullion Bombardier wing, still in its cellophane packet...presumably a tailor-shop example? I suppose the bottom line is, if you're going to wear a wing with your "pinks and greens", is it going to be a nice shiny silver Luxenberg or an embroidered one? No contest...!! Sabrejet, I have an extra Balloon pilot on OD and an Instructor on Kahki. Send me you address and I will send them along. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawk3370 Posted October 30, 2009 Share #10 Posted October 30, 2009 Duncan Campbell talked about these cloth wings in his book many years ago and in a couple of magazine articles he wrote. I do have a 4 pocket service coat to a S/Sgt who served in the CBI & Far East Air Forces, that does have a set of enlisted crew wings sewn on above the ribbons. This coat came out of a VFW throw-away pile about 25 years ago, so I don't think it was messed with. I've always thought these cloth embroidered wings were ment to be used on shirts and coats used for everyday wear. There are surviving examples of officer & enlisted collat brass made like this, but those do appear on old uniforms a LOT more often than the embroidered wings. Maybe these were intended to be the cheap cousins to the more expensive bullion wings?No matter what, they are good looking and are not too hard to find. Lee, Attached an Instructor sleeve wing and a couple of the embroidered collar insignia. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share #11 Posted October 31, 2009 Additional examples of embroidered insignia, all uncut and some still in their paper packets. The fabrics used are OD 51 gabardine, khaki cotton and OD HBT. The detailing is superb...long before computer programmable sewing machines!! How often this kind of insignia was actually used is a matter of conjecture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share #12 Posted October 31, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvatwad Posted November 7, 2009 Share #13 Posted November 7, 2009 Here are some examples as used. First is a nice Liaison pilot's bush jacket with a 10 AF shoulder patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvatwad Posted November 7, 2009 Share #14 Posted November 7, 2009 The next example is a navigator's bush jacket, with a nice embroided wing and snap on CBI patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share #15 Posted November 7, 2009 Superb! Thanks for sharing. Ian :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedgehead30 Posted December 12, 2013 Share #16 Posted December 12, 2013 Here's an interesting set of embroidered wings I recently picked up. The interesting part is the two different threads. At first I thought they were stained. But closer examination revealed that it is two different colors of thread. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebuddy Posted December 12, 2013 Share #17 Posted December 12, 2013 I must get some of mine out , and see whats what !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share #18 Posted December 12, 2013 Here's an interesting set of embroidered wings I recently picked up. The interesting part is the two different threads. At first I thought they were stained. But closer examination revealed that it is two different colors of thread. Scott ww12.jpg ww12back.jpg Interesting. Must be a manufacturing error? Can't think of any other reason for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffP Posted December 12, 2013 Share #19 Posted December 12, 2013 Lee, A short story about these wings, the first time I went to Duncan's house with a friend of mine, he invited us to go into his basement where he kept his collection. After spending a couple hours going through his magnificant collection he motioned for us to come into another room. There in the corner was a washing machine size box about three quarters full of these cloth insignia. He reached in and grabbed several handfuls putting them in a paper bad and handed each of us a bag. He said he had been trying to get rid of them since the war. Shortly after the end of WW2 he was on a road trip and went into a tailor shop inquiring about military insignia. The owner produced a cigar box full of these wings and commented that he had some more boxes of them in the back. Duncan asked him what he would take for the entire lot and a deal was struck. Being on the road Duncan asked if the man could ship the boxes to his house which he did. Duncan expected two or three cigar boxes to arrive in the mail. A short time after he arrived home a delivery arrived which consisted of several huge boxes with hundreds of these embroidered insignia. I still have a couple dozen left from that visit. Incidently Duncan stated that during the war these embroidered badges actually cost more than the metal pin on badges. Terry Terry, The same thing happened to me and I still have a bushel basket full of them. :D Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedgehead30 Posted December 12, 2013 Share #20 Posted December 12, 2013 Interesting. Must be a manufacturing error? Can't think of any other reason for it. That's what I figured, kinda cool. Incidentally I found it buried in a pile of WWII AAF uniforms stuffed into a plastic storage tub at the flea market. Most of the uniforms were roached and I only ended up buying a few things from the vendor. I couldn't pass on the little guy for a quarter... Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share #21 Posted December 12, 2013 That's what I figured, kinda cool. Incidentally I found it buried in a pile of WWII AAF uniforms stuffed into a plastic storage tub at the flea market. Most of the uniforms were roached and I only ended up buying a few things from the vendor. I couldn't pass on the little guy for a quarter... Scott A quarter?! You were robbed. That's a dime patch if ever I saw one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedgehead30 Posted December 14, 2013 Share #22 Posted December 14, 2013 A quarter?! You were robbed. That's a dime patch if ever I saw one! I tried to haggle but he was steadfast......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now