. . Well time to get back to the Then & Now at Trevieres.       Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,   June 17  2024.    ...

. Well time to get back to the Then & Now at Trevieres.       Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,   June 17  2024.    ...

. Well time to get back to the Then & Now at Trevieres.       Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,   June 17  2024.    ...

. Hi Kevin,    I only ever wanted to buy original old stock pieces, sadly when I look at some of the reproduction parts that are now sold to recent Jeep owners that have never seen the original pieces such as the webbing across the top of the radiator and the felt pieces sold for the sides and top of the radiator.  The thin brass plating on some parts that should be solid brass and cheap thin plating on other parts.     Some more blasts from the past I bought off you, and I still have many other pieces as well for when I had more than one Jeep.           Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,   June 17  2024.    ...

So much gear was just destroyed with no thought to preservation. I remember talking to an ex RAF guy who was given the job of smashing up wooden aircraft recognition models, he asked if he could take some home for his kids but was told he would be done for theft if he tried.

This is not an especially rare wing, although I don't recall seeing it show up very often in "just WWII" groupings.    I misspoke above and conflated two autobiographical wings. Here is an autobiographical grouping of Airman 3rd class Glen Frederick Story (sadly, he was MIA/KW KIA--may have been one of the last casualties of the war).  (See his story here: https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000D1viOEAR).  The other wing is also a KW grouping, but it is hiding from me right now.   He was born in 1933 and would have been too young to enlist in WWII (he died just a couple of months after his 20th birthday).  I am not sure when he enlisted into the USAF and went to Korea, but assuming he was about 18 when he joined the USAF from South Dakota, he likely would have enlisted around 1950-51 (just as the KW was starting). Then, assuming about a year in training, it is possible that he wouldn't have earned his wings until 1952 or so.  Then I assume he went to Korea and was MIA/KIA a year later (1953).  I have a back listing of what I need to research, so I don't know for sure, but that is my feeling of the timeline for his service.  Maybe someone could clarify, but I am sure that he didn't serve in WWII (he would have been 15 in 1945)   In Korea, he was the flight engineer of a B-26C Invader with the 13th Bomber Squadron, 3rd Bomber Wing at Kunsan Air Force Base (K-8), Korea. On July 14, 1953, while on a night intruder mission, contact with the aircraft was lost between Sinanju and Pyongyang, North Korea. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on July 15, 1954. Airman Third Class Story was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.     This may have been wings issued to him if he graduated from one of the gunnery schools, but it would have been 5-6 years after the end of WWII.   There was clearly some overlap (probably a lot) of WWII-made insignia worn into the KW and (even VN) war eras.   I won't quibble too much about that, but I still maintain the feeling that this pattern was more commonly seen post-WWII.   But I do think we tend to try to narrow down the dates of wings as if it really matters that much.  Great wings.

very impresive

I would think it was 1985-86 at a guess.......

The pistol had all those markings except the E on the mainspring housing; I'll try to post close-ups later.            

This seemed to have been a popular design that was seen in both pre- and war time manufacture.  There are actually more than two similar versions of this wing (sometimes called the big shield wing or high shoulder wing).   This is a good thread that shows at least 4 similar versions of this wing. 1) AMCRAFT (often found with the snowflake pattern.  Seems to have likely been an early war version). I don't often see these in groupings (especially compared to the LGB version)   2) LGB.  A relatively common and very nice version. It also shows up in the various pilot versions and the "alphabet wings".  Again, it was probably commonly used throughout the war.   3) Marshal Field and Company. A similar (but not exact) version.  Rare wing and likely a pre-war version of this pattern.  I doubt that it was made by the Marshal Field Company, so it was likely made by another unknown company.   4) At least 1 unknown maker that is not often seen. The differences are subtle, but you may be able to identify which wing is shown in the photo  . Although, to my eyes (and the WWII vintage picture), I would lean towards the LGB version myself, I'm not sure my eyes are all that good.