RFC wings - Page 2 - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Frank Kelley · #16 04-02-16, 08:37 AM

Which other idiot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phillip

That other idiots comments . Now that's classic forum .

arrestingu · #17 04-02-16, 10:01 AM

Hi Phil ,
Let's look at the wings, the thread is thick compared to the quality of originals.
The lettering lacks detail ,it doesn't weave lightly between each other. The cross in the crown is poorly executed. And the wing feathers are to close together.
If you look in the book "eagles recalled" their are lots of originals. Please look in my Album of RFC wings.
It would be lovely if the group was original,but sadly in my opinion there are to many alarms regarding originality. A high def photo of the wings would also help ?...just a suggestion .....Did you a quire the group direct from family or from Ebay ?
Anyway hopefully you have some luck with it .
kind regards

Phillip · #18 05-02-16, 01:57 AM

Not you Frank

Hi Arrestingu
If you refer to my original post you'll recall I wasn't claiming they were original and I in fact said I hadn't seen a pair like that . The reality is , SAS1 may very well be right . An old man may have enjoyed the fact that someone was interested in his Dad and not wished to upset a few interesting moments of discussing him . I never asked him any personal questions just for my own gain . And in the end he gave me copies of the pilots log , personal diary and squadron daily history his dad had compiled for his time at the front . Reading his thoughts on day to day events that he wrote at the end of that day . The wings , yes I have always thought that the feathers were wrong . He was a human , maybe he didn't compile the case so I could hang it on the wall umpteen decades later . Maybe he didn't complie the case ? I suppose if I had a signed affidavite from his son saying they were his dad's box I could sell them off for a few hundred quid ? . A nights beer money at the pub .
But thanks for the offer of taking a closer look it's very good of you , but I'm not keen on sending pics of everything just to be scrutinised by whoever wants ...it just doesn't seem right

arrestingu · #19 05-02-16, 09:07 AM

That's fine, I agree many old boys, replaced missing badge with replacements.
and if you are happy with the group and it tells the story and makes you smile then that's what collecting is all about !! Enjoy !! We collectors get tunnel vision at times....yet everything has a story to tell ....we often forget that.
regards

Phillip · #20 09-02-16, 08:23 AM

Thanks for that Arrestingu
After thinking about it , I might as well post the case . Its either a home made job by Bill or a fake by the guy I bought it off ebay from ...yes I know..ebay , but he had a convincing story ...don't they all

So the case is to WFJ Harvey of 22 Squadron . I got it about 2000 and made contact with his son Rupert through Cross and Cockade in about 2007 through another guy who knew Bill Harvey before he died in 72 . I prized out the lower padded section , it is like a velvet glued on ply . The back is a brilliant blue , the front faded and flat ( I guess it could have been faded with a solvent or something ) .
Bill Harvey's medals were sold again recently by british medals .co.uk . they are in the isle of Man /White ? the one between England and Ireland .
Bill Harvey was so well thought of as a Flight Commander that when he left everyone in the Squadron lined the road in a formal guard of honour . This was apparently one of the proudest moments in his life .

Frank Kelley · #21 09-02-16, 08:28 AM

I think we can safely suggest the Isle of Man is "the one" between England and Ireland.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phillip

Bill Harvey's medals were sold again recently by british medals .co.uk . they are in the isle of Man /White ? the one between England and Ireland . .

Frank Kelley · #22 09-02-16, 08:55 AM

To be quite honest, I hope it is not something that is merely made up, but, there is no getting away from the fact, it could well be.
William Frederick James Harvey clearly made his mark in the RFC/RAF and spent a little over eight months with 22 Squadron, like many before him, to decide to try and get a commission in the RFC proved to be the right thing do, many others were not so lucky and it must have seemed enormous fun until the reality of what they were actually doing sank in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phillip

Thanks for that Arrestingu
After thinking about it , I might as well post the case . Its either a home made job by Bill or a fake by the guy I bought it off ebay from ...yes I know..ebay , but he had a convincing story ...don't they all

So the case is to WFJ Harvey of 22 Squadron . I got it about 2000 and made contact with his son Rupert through Cross and Cockade in about 2007 through another guy who knew Bill Harvey before he died in 72 . I prized out the lower padded section , it is like a velvet glued on ply . The back is a brilliant blue , the front faded and flat ( I guess it could have been faded with a solvent or something ) .
Bill Harvey's medals were sold again recently by british medals .co.uk . they are in the isle of Man /White ? the one between England and Ireland .
Bill Harvey was so well thought of as a Flight Commander that when he left everyone in the Squadron lined the road in a formal guard of honour . This was apparently one of the proudest moments in his life .

Phillip · #23 09-02-16, 12:26 PM

First days ..98 years ago

...

Frank Kelley · #24 09-02-16, 02:43 PM

Indeed, but, I have only looked at WO363 and AIR76 and so have no particular knowledge of him, he certainly had a most interesting time with 22 Squadron.

Phillip · #25 09-02-16, 08:05 PM

Sure did Frank . I don't want to get too far off the track because yours is a badge forum , but it's interesting to compare thoughts of men there at the time with our accepted ideas now . You know the well told story of Leefe Robinson VC who commanded 48 Squadron when the Biff first went to France . They got mauled by Jasta11 and we say it was because LF ordered the Biffs to close up in a defensive formation if attacked and this tactic was wrong . Harvey was all for using the Biff offensively , but also advercated a tight formation in defense and using the combined firepower of the observers guns . 22 used it often when returning from long range escorts . Looking at that day with 48 and the combat reports it seems that there real error was they got broken up and also several gun stoppages were listed ( something about the grease not being right ) . So the tactic might have been ok for a new green squadron , just not executed correctly .
P.s. The Pork who lost a wing is actually G.A. Park . There's a few typos between Bill's writing and Ruperts typed out copy .

Phillip · #26 09-02-16, 08:29 PM

the case with the bottom pulled out , it was retained by a bit of glue . also the miniatures

Frank Kelley · #27 10-02-16, 05:22 PM

It is a badge forum, as such, I have to agree with what has already been said on the subject of the wing, but, regarding this box and all of its contents, all I can say, is that it simply depends upon who it was made for, if it was made for the original recipient and the contents were actually all his, then certainly from my own way of thinking, they are beyond value and are a lovely thing to own, but, of course, actual proof is another matter all together.

Phillip · #28 11-02-16, 04:16 AM

Yep , you have it in one Frank , perfectly put . I did get in contact with a military aviation writer to see if he knew where Rupert was now , he pretty much said " what's it matter , if he said that then don't second guess yourself , you only have to convince others if you want to sell it " and I thought , Yep your a smart man . But I would like to thank you and other posters for honest but kind replies . I'll put the box back in the draw now .