Hello Denis,
I have seen this document and in fact used this article to try and find these specific changes in the uniform code concerning wings that are described. However, I was never able to find them--that means little of course (my lack of success by no means indicates that I am correct!).
However, I know for a fact that the first USN wings (the ones shown on page 656 that states were never issued) were actually worn by USN pilots very early in WWI. Somewhere I have an article written by Duncan Campbell that shows a photograph of these wings on a uniform of a USN pilot and period photographs of a bunch of pilots on their way to England wearing this wing.
So based on that and some potential other errors in this document (which seems to be the only basis for the silver USN observer wings that I can find), makes me wonder if this is, in fact, true. It would be nice to at least see a copy of the changes in the uniform code or at the very least a wing associated to a naval observer during that time period that is silver colored.
At the very least, silver USN pilot wings are relatively common. I have 3 in my collection and I haven't really been looking for them. Most of the USN collectors I know have one or two and I see them pop up on eBay periodically. On the other hand, I only have 1 USN Observer wing like the one shown at the start of the post. They seem to be much rarer. So why is it that vintage silver USN wings that would have been approved only for about 1-2 years MORE common than the other style?
I have other problems with progression of the observer wings. In WWI, the observer (like in the Air Corps) used a half wing and an "O". Then, during the late 1920's to the 40's, the observer wing (like the Army Air Forces) was full sized with an "O". However, according to the article, for only 2 years, the Navy decided to use a PILOT wing (only changing its color) to designate a non-pilot rating? Something they have never done before or since. Even an airship pilot or an enlisted pilot in the navy wore the standard pilot wing. Basically, if you fly in the Navy, you wear a navy pilot wing. If you don't fly, you wear something else. The only silver wing is the combat aircrewman's and they don't fly (by that I mean they dont pilot an aircraft).
Again, I may be wrong--sadly I am frequently missinformed and mistaken. In my defense, at the very least I have tried to find these changes but have not been successful. But, if some else has found them, then that would be great.
P. Frost
I have seen this document and in fact used this article to try and find these specific changes in the uniform code concerning wings that are described. However, I was never able to find them--that means little of course (my lack of success by no means indicates that I am correct!).
However, I know for a fact that the first USN wings (the ones shown on page 656 that states were never issued) were actually worn by USN pilots very early in WWI. Somewhere I have an article written by Duncan Campbell that shows a photograph of these wings on a uniform of a USN pilot and period photographs of a bunch of pilots on their way to England wearing this wing.
So based on that and some potential other errors in this document (which seems to be the only basis for the silver USN observer wings that I can find), makes me wonder if this is, in fact, true. It would be nice to at least see a copy of the changes in the uniform code or at the very least a wing associated to a naval observer during that time period that is silver colored.
At the very least, silver USN pilot wings are relatively common. I have 3 in my collection and I haven't really been looking for them. Most of the USN collectors I know have one or two and I see them pop up on eBay periodically. On the other hand, I only have 1 USN Observer wing like the one shown at the start of the post. They seem to be much rarer. So why is it that vintage silver USN wings that would have been approved only for about 1-2 years MORE common than the other style?
I have other problems with progression of the observer wings. In WWI, the observer (like in the Air Corps) used a half wing and an "O". Then, during the late 1920's to the 40's, the observer wing (like the Army Air Forces) was full sized with an "O". However, according to the article, for only 2 years, the Navy decided to use a PILOT wing (only changing its color) to designate a non-pilot rating? Something they have never done before or since. Even an airship pilot or an enlisted pilot in the navy wore the standard pilot wing. Basically, if you fly in the Navy, you wear a navy pilot wing. If you don't fly, you wear something else. The only silver wing is the combat aircrewman's and they don't fly (by that I mean they dont pilot an aircraft).
Again, I may be wrong--sadly I am frequently missinformed and mistaken. In my defense, at the very least I have tried to find these changes but have not been successful. But, if some else has found them, then that would be great.
P. Frost
. My mom's picture is in the women's aviation section of the current museum - she was quite the aviatrix in her day (fixed wing & helo).
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