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#1
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Another RCAF replica wing pattern
RCAF Aircrew wings, Prototypes, Rarities and Mysteries
Article 4, Post war Prototype remakes circa 1980 Since the 80’s and perhaps earlier, one has been able to find a specific and unique style of wing which represented prototype designs of the 40’s. Based on the design, stitching and materials, it is clear that these were all manufactured by the same maker but the question is who, where and when? The patterns were seen is designs which incorporated both single and double wing styles (Fig. 1) and specifically represented known prototype designs identified by authors sometime after 1973 (Thompson, 1973), (Carroll, 1981) When given a new wing, collectors tend to look at it in detail, heft it for the “feel”, and almost immediately want to see the reverse which holds a wealth of information about who (country, commercial or one-off tailor made), when and how (hand stitched or machine made) it was manufactured. This in turn gives one information about the Country of origin and date of manufacture as well. This group of wings showing two sizes of the stylized Air Gunner (discussed in a previous article), pilot, NW, NB, BA, and AE and is thought to be the complete selection of those made in this style. The group was initially purchased in Toronto around 1981. More recently one Toronto retail store has been selling these at Ontario Militaria shows and they occasionally make their way onto eBay. It is my understanding the retailer bought these many decades ago from another company that was going out of business. The black stitching which is added to highlight the feathers in the wings, the course thread in the wings and what appears to be a heat active backing all suggest these patches were not period pieces but made in the style of various proposed wings of the 40’s and early 50’s. They are all padded with well-defined material under the black backing (thread count ~ 41/inch). They are quite stiff, probably because of the glue that binds the backing to the felt base. One also notices that on viewing the wing edge on, there is a layer of white woven material sandwiched in-between the backing and the felt of the wing base. This was probably used to provide a base for the stitching on the front of the patch. It is also worth noting that the white areas fluoresce under UV light. This is something that isn’t seen on original WWII or even into the 50 era wings unless they have been washed in a phosphate detergent. I don’t claim to be an expert or even knowledgeable about wing design and if anyone has information that would help to further describe or explain these examples, I would encourage you to comment to this thread. It is only through discussion will we ultimately reach a consensus on some of these controversial aircrew items. Ultimately, they are interesting in that they represent a cross section of patterns that were being considered during or immediately post war. Some of the original designs only ever existed in sketches while others may have been produced in a limited run of samples. Typically, these examples now sell for a price commensurate for what they actually are, relatively modern replicas of proposed and obsolete wing designs and as always, it is “Buyer Beware”. Bibliography Carroll, W. (1981). Wings, First Edition. self published. Thompson, R. (1973). Wings of the Canadian Armed Forces Volume 1 1913-1972. self published. |
#2
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RCAF Mike will likely chime in.
I have one additional comment. The NB wings are embroidered in the same weird serif font as some known reproductions of Second World War types of army cloth.
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Res ipsa loquitur |
#3
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Yes, I have seen those on ebay every so often.
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#4
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What is your opinion on this one?
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#5
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Hi Jack:
My guess is that it is a fine, original example of a British made, WWII era pilots wing. At least I hope so! I have picked up identical ones in the past. Attached are some very similar examples that have sold on eBay (two of them to me). |
#6
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Thanks mate yes it was sold as WW2.
Cheers |
#7
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zorgon, A question about the construction of these wings. Why is the backing material sewn in the manner shown? Each of the examples show long runs between catches. What was the purpose for this type of stitching?
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Res ipsa loquitur |
#8
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Hi Bill:
A good question. It does look pretty random and sloppy but after all, it is the back. I believe most of the British made patches from that era were also initially covered with a very thin black paper which cleaned up the look. The paper however doesn’t take much moisture and will peel off relatively easily if washed or soaked (see pic). As for the stitching, and this is based solely on observation, it was just there to keep the heavy muslin (?) cloth backing intact, keeping the layers tight at the edges but also snug in the wider portions which in turn strengthened the wing and retained the padding (if used). It didn’t have to be pretty but enough stitching was required to keep the overall wing construction intact. It also made sense to fasten the layers together with a colour that blended into the front wool. Note that the one thread running off the vertical in the center will end up at the side of the crown. If it was perfectly vertical, it had a better chance of catching the top of the crown on the front with the black thread detracting from the look. Just a guess. Cheers, Wayne |
#9
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Hi Wayne, Thanks for the observations. It is not a very "neat" construction, but if covered it may not have mattered.
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Res ipsa loquitur |
#10
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The rear stitching of almost every RCAF wing is done in this haphazard manner..... I don't know if there's a rhyme or reason to it, but it's always a good sign to me when looking at wings! This style is not reserved solely for Canadians though, have a look at the backs of these two Australian pieces. The top is a pilot's wing made in Australia and the bottom is an Observer made in England
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MIKE Collecting RCAF Wings Uniforms Badges and Insignia |
#11
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Thanks Mike. One could say then, that this stitching is a characteristic one would look for when authenticating wings?
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Res ipsa loquitur |
#12
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Potentially, but first and foremost one should look at the quality of materials and construction. This stitching quirk does seem to be commonplace, so it's a good sign at least
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MIKE Collecting RCAF Wings Uniforms Badges and Insignia |
#13
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Understood, that characteristic would be one of several to evaluate the authenticity.
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Res ipsa loquitur |
#14
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Totally legit wing. Yes Brit made second war issue. Lots of pics of pilots wearing that variant.
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Tags |
aircrew, fake, prototypes, rcaf wing, replicas |
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