I just saw this on eBay and it looks like this young enlisted glider infantry soldier from WW2 decided to pin one of those sweetheart glider pilot wings to the oval of his uniform instead of his glider infantry wings.  My guess is that he isn't a glider pilot and this was done strictly for the portrait.  

 

 

Nice 1940s graphics on the matting. Maybe he lost his wings in a crap game.

Rob

Early on before they could get their hands on an official glider qualification badge they used a miniature glider pilot.

 

The only units I know for a fact did this was the 17th Airborne.

All the proposals above could be valid. However, this use of the small Glider Pilot badge was done and mostly by Troopers in the 325th GIR. For the reasons manayunkman states above.

 

Here is an example in my collection:

 

 

 

 

Great information that I wasn't aware of.  Many thanks for everyone's input.

Heres one I have that was in a foot locker

 

 

On 11/27/2024 at 6:26 PM, Persian Gulf Command said:

All the proposals above could be valid. However, this use of the small Glider Pilot badge was done and mostly by Troopers in the 325th GIR. For the reasons manayunkman states above.

 

Here is an example in my collection:

 

 

 

 

Missed this when it was on its initial rounds but man, this is a KILLER 325 oval and Glider Pilot wings!  Outstanding.  Funny, talking to a lot of 325 vets over the years, is how short they were of 2 trained pilots for their gliders especially during ops after D-Day.  Remember Clinton Riddle telling me about how he was "trained" for about 2 hours total before their Market Garden op due to not having enough qualified pilots available.  I remember asking him if he volunteered for that and he said "Not exactly.  They volunteered me FOR me!!".   Great item.