Can anyone ID this possibly WW2 paratrooper wing?

[Tonomachi]

This bullion paratrooper wing came out of a scrap book belonging to a WW2 era US paratrooper who served in the ETO. His name was Thomas Locker from Duluth, Minnesota, USA. The seller had already sold off most of estate he had purchased from a family member. The seller remembers seeing a 1st Allied Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division shoulder sleeve patches amongst this grouping. The seller told me that this airborne vet had brought this bullion paratrooper wing back from Europe after the war. I found a Private Thomas O. Locker, Company H., 517th Parachute Infantry Combat Team, on a Christmas 1944 roster put together in France. I don't know if it is the same person or not. I believe this is a WW2 era paratrooper wing but from which country? The closest thing I could come up with is a slight similarity with a Netherland West Indies paratrooper wing. Any ideas?

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[pieter]

Hi there,
that's a really interesting wing. I have added a link to some Dutch West Indies para wings but I don't really see any resemblance.
Best regards,
Pieter

http://www.hetdepot.com/sop.html

[NEMO]

Hi there , well heres my opinion for what is worth .

My first instinct ( a bad thing to do ...) is this is not a parachute jump wing but infact an instructors wing .

The bullion construction is very typical of Italian badges manufactured for the allied forces post 1943 ( please see the US airborne pathfinders badge made in Italian bullion ) if pos ... try to gently tease apart two of the bullion threads an see if the bullion is stitched on to a paper or card backing ?

Point /2, this may be a para wing worn by a European parachute trained officer liaison / translator attached to the U.S force to assist , im thinking of a european country with no monarchy ie crown on the badges.

Point /3 My first point of search is this badge needs A good going over by experienced US collectors to rule out its chance of been a US private bought para or even post war civillian / civillian instructor wing . Its material constuction may be a big help .
The are known war time examples of war time para and air crew wings made in bullion .

( wheres Garth when we need him ....)

Point /4 its a fake thats been aged , if it is the bullion is bloody good ,

regards ,Michael.

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by NEMO

Hi there , well heres my opinion for what is worth .

My first instinct ( a bad thing to do ...) is this is not a parachute jump wing but infact an instructors wing .

The bullion construction is very typical of Italian badges manufactured for the allied forces post 1943 ( please see the US airborne pathfinders badge made in Italian bullion ) if pos ... try to gently tease apart two of the bullion threads an see if the bullion is stitched on to a paper or card backing ?

Point /2, this may be a para wing worn by a European parachute trained officer liaison / translator attached to the U.S force to assist , im thinking of a european country with no monarchy ie crown on the badges.

Point /3 My first point of search is this badge needs A good going over by experienced US collectors to rule out its chance of been a US private bought para or even post war civillian / civillian instructor wing . Its material constuction may be a big help .
The are known war time examples of war time para and air crew wings made in bullion .

( wheres Garth when we need him ....)

Point /4 its a fake thats been aged , if it is the bullion is bloody good ,

regards ,Michael.

Ref Point 2/: Italian Co-Belligerent perhaps? Or Jugoslav elements of Raiding Forces? It certainly looks Italian made to me. I would be very surprised if the complex design of the wings was original thought on the designer's part - surely the design will have been copied from the design of some other wings - pilots' perhaps?
Mike

[NEMO]

" Italian Co-Belligerent perhaps? Or Jugoslav elements of Raiding Forces? It certainly looks Italian made to me. I would be very surprised if the complex design of the wings was original thought on the designer's part - surely the design will have been copied from the design of some other wings - pilots' perhaps? "

Jugoslav raiding forces / jugoslav O.S.S. ? I think that is a very good way forward ? they do look like US air crew wings IvE seen made from bullion and there was a U.S semi covert air unit in that area ` the Balkans Air force ` used for flying kit an personel to help Titos forces .

so ... a naturalised U.S trained up as a para of Jugoslav birth / or Jugoslav parents selected for special force work with the .O.S.S , who had a set of wings made up whilst over seas ? are we getting warmer?

........... the wearing of a para wing with out a crown would be very prudent thinking whilst serving with Tito an not Mikailavic`s lot .