RCAF Wings Original or Copy?

[SAS1]

I would say both are the same wartime wing but different manufacturers hence the slight differences. Outside that one looks mint and the other worn.

[Dominique]

Sure, but if I did my homework well, the mint one could have been manufactured in the late 50's... Just like this AG brevet , am I correct ?
Thank you,
Dominique004.jpg

[Bill A]

It is possible, but the way material comes out of stores, it is very difficult to say the specific time period can be attributed to the date it was issued.

[RCAF_Mike]

I would say it was mad during the war. These badges were made on machine runs in the thousands and put into official stores for issue to graduates. The patterns were superceded by the 1947 revisions and the halfwings rendered obsolete. They remained in stores as surplus, hence why some are in extremely mint condition. Provision was made in the regs for wartime qualification of halfwings to be worn postwar. I have yet to see proof of these being manufactured in the postwar years. If we went solely on the point of manufacture to determine era, we'd have to say all are wartime..... If we went on when they were worn by each individual, we could not establish one particular date

[Dominique]

What a dilemma for Collectors!
To make things worse here is a picture of my AG wing backing...
Regards to all,
Dominique

[SAS1]

It would not be manufactured in the late 1950s with a Kings crown. Also, there may have been men who wore wartime wings in the 1950s but the RCAF changed the design in 1947 so it's very unlikely wartime pattern would have been made for long after that. There would still be stocks held in stores but that's it. There would be no reason to manufacture insignia the RAF no longer issued. Personally I think very few men wore wartime pattern wings after 1947. I have photos of two Dam busters both wearing the 47 wings circa 1949/50.

The backing on the wing is interesting. It's taken from a cap (the date is not related to the wing), and used as a stiffener.

[Dominique]

It makes sense for sure.
Thank you for your thoughts.
As to the AG wing the pictures of which were posted, I had already came to that conclusion for it was worn by a Sgt that joined in 1943.
BR,
Dominique

[David Tremain]

As SAS1 said, some people wore them into the Fifties. I have a uniform to a Navigator who joined during the war but who stayed on afterwards and wore the N brevet with a king's crown on his green uniform after integration in the Sixties.

David

[Bill A]

Found the CF tunic. It is dated 1969, and the fellow wore it until he retired out in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

[Wingnut]

All of the wings shown are good, unless i missed one while scrolling fast. Lots of examples of the straight half wing being worn well after WW2. Even though RCAF switched to double wing pattern in 47.