Swiss made Huguenin Aerial Gunners' wing

[Sabrejet]

Ian, the weight tells me whether it is an average weight wing, or light or heavy. In this case it is a bit lighter than other wings of the same rating.

 

The regulations specified a 76.2 mm (3") wing as the standard; however, the actual lengths vary somewhat from mfg. to mfg. from slightly under 3" to 3.25". I've found that lengths and weights, although a variable between different manufacturers, usually do not vary much within a given manufacturer's production.

 

A significant variation from the norm might suggest a cast piece or comparing dimensions could help identify a certain maker as a possible source of the die. I didn't find a match to your wing in my files, so it's quite possible your wing is a unique Swiss die maker's creation, similar to Assmann. Wouldn't surprise me...those folks are marvelous craftsmen and proud, too.

 

What a great piece...thanks for sharing.

 

Paul S

 

Hi Paul. Such attention to detail. Thank you!

 

Ian

[USMCRECON]

I traded a few emails with someone recently that introduced me to the subject of ongoing lobbying on behalf of former airmen who had been held in Switzerland during the war who claimed that their living conditions and treatment was so poor that they have been seeking POW status from Congress. I don't know the merits of the claim and would wonder if the effort were entirely justified.

Paul S

 

If this movement is true, and I can hardly believe the Switzerland internees would even consider such action, I don't think it would "fly." I certainly hope it wouldn't. I'm quite sure the Former POW Associations would have something to say about it as well.

 

The men in Switzerland were not POWs. Whatever their living conditions, they were infinitely better than they were for the POWs in the best Stalagluft. As was said earlier in this post, those interned in Switzerland were allowed freedom of movement that POWs definitely were not. Finally, while many airmen in Switzerland ended up there due to battle-damage, etc, there were some who landed there deliberately in order to get out of the war.

 

Granting POW status to non-POWs would be an enormous mistake and a huge slap in the face to every man who truly was a POW. How could anyone compare chilling out in Switzerland with time spent in the Stalags, slaving on the on the Burma-Thailand railroad or in a Japanese coal mine, or starving and freezing in a Chinese POW camp. No one beat them or starved them. no one denied them medical care.

 

If there are formerly interned airmen from Switzerland pushing for POW status, they should stop for a moment, reflect a bit on what their brethren who were in the camps went through (I guarantee that not one of them would want to have traded places with a POW for one moment), hang their heads in shame, sit down and shut up.

[Paul S]

Here is a link to an Amazon.com listing for a 2003 book on the subject, complete with a few reviews:

Swiss POW Book

 

In the writeup it's stated that about 1700 US airmen were held by the Swiss. Considering that half or less of that number were gunners, that would suggest a potential population of these wings that might have been made. As someone noted earlier, the airmen would have been wearing their flying gear and probably given some civies to wear during their stay--neither of which would call for wings to be worn.

 

The writeups indicate that the interned airmen in Switzerland were relatively free to move about as long as they made no attempt to escape and did what they were told. It could be that a few of them got the idea to have some wings made up, perhaps placing an order through a local jeweler. Or maybe they were made up as a tourist trinket to sell to the GI tourists just after the war.

[atb]

I have to agree with Cliff. That makes complete sense to me.

Awesome wing! Mega Bucks! :thumbsup:

JD

He meant meant interned, right? Any dead American fliers who were interred (burried) anywhere would not be ordering much of anything.

[Sabrejet]

He meant meant interned, right? Any dead American fliers who were interred (burried) anywhere would not be ordering much of anything.

 

 

 

Doh!! :ermm: "Interned" is right... my typo....thanks!

 

 

Ian :thumbsup:

[brian e]

[the airmen would have been wearing their flying gear ]

 

very nice wings

Didnt they wear uniforms under the flying gear?

[Gary Cain]

Very cool wing and ultra rare!

[USMCRECON]

He meant meant interned, right? Any dead American fliers who were interred (burried) anywhere would not be ordering much of anything.

 

You meant buried, not burried, right.