Pilot's Badge

[Dave Homewood]

Hamish Cooke emailed me with this. Can anyone help please?

Hi there,

The Wigram Airforce Museum put me on to you in the hope that some of your members may be able to assist me in identifying a set of WW2 Pilot wings. Please find attached several photos of the wings.

Some folk have said they are early war issue BCATP while others say it could be tropical issue. In any case I would appreciate any information you are able to provide to solve the mystery.

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards

Hamish

[retiredav8r]

Look like standard issue WW2 wings with king's crown, nothing special. I think tropical would be tan.

[McFly]

The 'Imperial War Museum' in the UK have one in their collection which looks similar (link)...




Plus a few more in various collections and for sale (link), (link), (link), (link), (link), (link), (link). And this impressive collection (link).

[classicman]

I have read that the badges with red colour inside the crown were those produced in Canada for crews training there. NZ produced badges lacked this red detailing. My grandfather’s wings issued in 1942 and my own issued in 1990 bear this out:

[davidd]

So far as I know, there was NEVER any such thing as "Tropical" wings, in fact I would say that this is a fiction, as no such badges have ever been identified as such in RAF (or RNZAF for that matter) dress regulation descriptions of flying badges, etc. However, it can be said that the "interpretations" of the exact style and detail of such flying badges are many and varied, remembering that they were manufactured all over the old British Empire (and the new-fangled Commonwealth as it came to be known). The only things I can suggest that MIGHT be interpreted as "Tropical Wings" are the RNZAF and RAAF all-metal badges manufactured in latter part of WW2 for wearing with tropical dress (and could be removed at will for dry-cleaning or otherwise washing the jacket). The all-woollen material badges could also be fitted out with studs so they could also be removed from the garment. As to the red additions applied within the crown of certain badges, I hesitate to state that this was only true of Canadian-manufactured badges - as hinted at earlier, the variety of minor manufacturing modifications incorporated in wartime flying badges are almost infinite.

[Gareth]

Hi,
I believe the wings in question were produced by Robertson and son of Christchurch. I have seen both versions of wing (with and without red crown) and I have a set with plain crown in my collection.

[avenger]

My "Wings, " presented mid 1958 have the inner section of the Crown in red.
Others acquired later for my flying suit were without colour but in black.

[McFly]

One for the sleuths on this forum to help solve for the Air Force Museum...

"We would love to know more about this unique set of wings. If you know any information about this style of badge, or where we might be able to find more information, please contact our Collections team at [e-mail]. The Museum has an extensive array of badges in all shapes and sizes but recently we received one that is unique to our collection. Very kindly purchased with the express purpose of donating it to the Museum this pilot’s badge, colloquially known as a ‘brevet’, is dated to pre-1953 featuring a ‘King’s Crown’ and white embroidered ‘NZ’ surrounded by a brown wreath. These details are common across other pilot’s badges but the blue embroidery along the top of the wings is something we haven’t seen before, either in our collection or in any book on the subject we have. Based on the quality of the embroidery and the condition of the reverse we don’t believe the blue was added after manufacture. It’s possible this example could be a manufacturer’s sample or a very short-lived style that was recalled shortly after implementation. 📸: RNZAF pilot’s badge with blue embroidery. Image ref: 2023/168, Air Force Museum of New Zealand."

[davidd]

That is DEFINITELY a new one on me! Very weird. Perhaps somebody's "Flash of Inspiration" which failed to impress the "Powers that Be"?

[McFly]

So here’s a thought, and I admit it has no basis in fact, but may be worth considering and adding to the pot...

With reference to the two ‘blue’ pilots wings images below. What if the NZ owner of the pilot wings badge in question was part of WW2 Glider Pilot Regiment in a previous life, and then having gained his conventional pilot wings, elected to recognise his previous glider pilot role by having the some of the same ‘blue’ stitching embroidered onto his current NZ wings..? Research suggest that over a 1000 pilots in the RAF flew gliders at various parts of the war. (link)




Or…..The ‘Volunteer Reserve’ (VR) of the RAF have a set of pilots wings in blue to denote – ‘Senior Instructor’ Officers Flying qualification badge. Perhaps again our NZ holder was a ‘Senior Instructor’ in some branch at some point, and in recognition of that role/qualification had the same blue stitching added to his current set of NZ wings..? (link)