RAF Pilot’s wings - good or bad?

[Chacal]

I recently got these unpadded KC RAF pilot’s wings as part of a large job lot of mainly British insignia. I’d welcome any opinions as to whether they are good or bad, I’ve looked at a few threads on here and I think they look good, but I am suspicious of the even discolouration. So anyone giving the thumbs up, or thumbs down, will as always be appreciated.

Should they be good I’ll initially offer them to forum members, if bad well, my tough luck.

Thanks for looking

Graham

[MH331]

Graham,

personally I like them. I think someone has bodged a piece of tan material to the back but the quality of the weave convinces me that they are good!

regards

Mark

[manchesters]

Graham,

I was hesitant to comment because of the lack of a view of the rear.
Now Mark has confirmed the backing is not original to the wings can I suggest you remove it and post a view of the rear please.

regards

[Chacal]

Thanks gents, bodged or not they did a solid enough job of stitching them on.

From what I've seen on various threads one would expect the back of a period badge to be fairly neat, not like the spaghetti on the rear of modern fakes. So, to the uninitiated, like myself, this looks good?

Graham

[rizzo]

Is it possible, do you think, that rather than unpick the stitching someone has just cut around the wings to remove them from the shirt?.

[Chacal]

Originally Posted by rizzo

Is it possible, do you think, that rather than unpick the stitching someone has just cut around the wings to remove them from the shirt?.

Yes, exactly what I thought, it's a sort of KD material so shirt or bush jacket.

[Frank Kelley]

A well used original wing, nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

Originally Posted by Chacal

I recently got these unpadded KC RAF pilot’s wings as part of a large job lot of mainly British insignia. I’d welcome any opinions as to whether they are good or bad, I’ve looked at a few threads on here and I think they look good, but I am suspicious of the even discolouration. So anyone giving the thumbs up, or thumbs down, will as always be appreciated.

Should they be good I’ll initially offer them to forum members, if bad well, my tough luck.

Thanks for looking

Graham

[Chacal]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

A well used original wing, nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

Thank you Frank, much appreciated.

Graham

[manchesters]

Original and easier to sell now.

regards

[David Tremain]

They look original to me, even without the backing removed. Most likely WW2 vintage. Many of the WW2 wings/brevets I've seen or have in my collection tend to have a canvas-like backing stitched to them, so I would agree, it's probably been cut from a tropical issue shirt.

David

[Chacal]

Thank you Simon and David, appreciate your feedback and the suggestion to remove the material from the back (with a background in museums and archaeology I'm often loath to disturb the status quo ).

I think I'll hang on to them for a while, looking at them makes me wonder about the man who wore them - which is why I started collecting many years ago (and often forget to do now ).

Thanks again

Graham

[Frank Kelley]

Graham,
The particular style of this wing is very distinctive indeed, it dates from the middle of WW2 and was worn beyond it, examples vary in terms of quality and detail, some are very finely made, others are rather crude, they were made, both, padded and unpadded, often you will find the padding deliberately removed, the one thing they have in common is that same basic design.
Again, a good wing, a little crude, only in that a better looking example could be bought, notwithstanding, a good worn and original wing.
Regards Frank

Originally Posted by Chacal

Thanks gents, bodged or not they did a solid enough job of stitching them on.

From what I've seen on various threads one would expect the back of a period badge to be fairly neat, not like the spaghetti on the rear of modern fakes. So, to the uninitiated, like myself, this looks good?

Graham

[Chacal]

Thank you Frank, those dates will be useful.

Graham