USMCRECON My collection of Pilot's Wings

[USMCRECON]

The following several posts are some examples of ther pilot wings I've collected over the past 10+ years. All of the ones in this batch are full-sized wings.

 

Here is the first example. These are basic pilot's wings, I believe of WW-II vintage. As you can se they have a fair amount of feather detail on the front. They are pinback-mounted and the only marking of any kind on the back is STERLING.

 

[USMCRECON]

Here's set #2. This one also has nice feather detail on the front and is attached with a pinback-type mount but it has an English-style pin and fastener. The only marking is the "W" scratched on the back of the shield. I can't tell absolutely if they are sterling or silver-plated brass since the silver finish is not worn through anywhere except one spot on the front of one end but I can't tell for sure if it's tarnish or the hint of brass peeking through.

 

Initially I was thinking these were WW-II Brit manufacture but they do not have a Gaunt, Firman, or any other Brit maker's mark so I really don't know. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Edited to correct a couple typos.

[USMCRECON]

Here is wings #3. This pair is odd. They appear to be stamped out of thin metal and silver-plated. There is a fair amount of feather detail on the front but, due to the stamping, it (and the rest of the detail) is also rather "soft." They have the British badge sort of mounting with two "eyeletts" on the back through which (I assume) a cotter-type pin is inserted. I almost threw them away as junk when I found them jammed down in the bottom of the inside pocket of a tunic I'd bought. Should I have?

 

Again, any ideas of comments about these would be most welcome.

 

 

Edited to correct a typo.

[USMCRECON]

And here's #4. Number 4 is actually the front of two very similar wings. Both have the Juarez wing-shape to the outer edges of the wings. I'm thinking that's what the top one is. The back is quite smooth and marked only with STERLING, rather than COIN SILVER, which most of the Juares wings I've seen have been marked. It is mounted with a pinback-device and roller catch (the actual roller is missing).

 

The bottom set, while of similar general shape, is slightly smaller (just at 3" in length), has a different style of "shoulder" to the wings, an inner row of feathers, and a slightly different shape to the radiator. The radiator also has considerably more vertical lines in it. The back has the early snowflake pattern which I've never seen on a pair or Juarez wings. It is also pinback-mounted but the catch is a "C" clasp.

 

Any ideas?

 

[USMCRECON]

..and #5. This one is a Senior Pilot. Like #1 and 2, it has nice feather detail on the wings and the detail is pretty sharp all over. It also appears like it might have been stamped but the metal is considerably thicker than #3. The metal looks like silver to me, just because I can't see any brass color peeking through anywhere. It has a British-looking pinback and "C" clasp on the back but I don't see any maker's or silver content marks on it anywhere. It measures just a hair over 3" in length.

 

OK, that's enough for now.

 

[crazy-monsooner]

#2 is british-made wing. you can find some marking "london" close to the catch. NICE one!!!!

[USMCRECON]

#2 is british-made wing. you can find some marking "london" close to the catch. NICE one!!!!

 

Wow! I didn't notice the London mark until you mentioned it. Thanks!

[Gary Cain]

The one with the lugs is also Commonwealth made but my guess would be CBI theater, perhaps India possibly Cairo. The Command pilot is also Commonwealth made and very nice! My personal guess is Ludlow because they do tend to have the thinner pin but the quality is much better than what you normally see with a Ludlow so it is up in the air. I think the bottom Juarez wing with the snowflake on it is a reproduction that was sold by Garcia Aviation. They had a bunch of insignia made a while back and put the snowflake on all of them but Amcraft was the company that actually did that pattern. The top Juarez though may be good but I kind of doubt it. I would have to see some better pictures of it. It should say coin silver instead of sterling and the pin catch is wrong for the Juarez pattern. These were reproduced in the 1970s because they are a rare pattern and lots of people wanted them.

 

Cheers

Gary

[Lee Ragan]

Isn't the pin mounted a bit high on that top Jaurez wing?

[USMCRECON]

Isn't the pin mounted a bit high on that top Jaurez wing?

 

Hi Lee. Someone else will have to comment on that. I don't know enough about them to answer authoritatively.

[Gary Cain]

Hi Lee,

 

Yes it is that's one of the things I mentioned in my post about the wings, it is the wrong type as well. I have seen pins assemblies replaced which is its only hope but based on the pictures it is a fake to me.

 

 

Gary

Isn't the pin mounted a bit high on that top Jaurez wing?

[pconrad02]

Well you know what they say about opinions

But here is mine, of course hard to tell from pictures BUT:

 

1. Nice honest WWII pilot (I would buy it )

2. GR Gaunt London Pilot, from the dies, but hard to tell the period, I have a known good one and the hallmark is much cleaner, but it still might be good(I might buy it )

3. I wouldn't buy it from the pictures, looks too new

4a (the Juarez) I personally have no problem with this one, I had the identical wing that I personally bought from the estate of a B-24 pilot , some say coin silver, some say sterling, and a few are even hallmarked (I would buy it )

4b I would have to look at it, most of these 30's patterns have been reproduced, as stated before (not sure)

5. Senior pilot, the first warning flag is the black back, I believe it to be a repro, compare the pin to thee one on the Gaunt, you will see that the hinge and pin on the Senior Pilot are thinner and the bends are not as sharp.(I would not buy it )

 

Well that's my 2 cents!

 

Paul

[none]

The top wing is a real Juarez. They made most of their wings in both coin and sterling. The pin is at the top edge and has the correct catch. What most people don't know is that they were made in Newark NJ.