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Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
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NAV WING NEEDS EXPLAINING??
Got this the other day and its a mystery to me .Its obviously a removable Nav wing original but no Kings crown?It looks and feels wartime...field made.. but no Kings crown?Any ideas ?Would that even be allowed ?
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#2
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Ive never seen one like this before, but during WW2 the SAAF generally used RAF style wings with a letter in the middle, brown wreath and no crown. They are distinct in style though. I have an 'N' wing, so its possible the shield with crown gave way to the N wing during the war, with the owner of this one happy to keep the style, but reluctant to substutute the shield!
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#3
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I would go out on a limb and say the crown has been carefully unpicked, an old wing but possibly worn through into the Republic era?
From this picture the area where the crown was, appears to be darker than the rest of the background. Brian |
#4
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no ...not enough space and stitching has not been disturbed ..see back of badge picture as well as perspex has not been cut
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#5
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Hi
Hope this helps? Heres my half wing, like yours the crown has been removed, this was done when SA became a republic, mine was given to me by the owner he was a tail gunner during WW2, and stayed in untill the 60's |
#6
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Why would. A gunner have a nav wing?
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#7
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Don't no mate, and I can't ask him because he died 2 years ago!, maybe someone on here may know?, ............thinking about it I do have some pictures of him wearing the AG wing, and as he stayed it after the war maybe when SA became a republic, the SAAF may have had surplas Nav wings and everyone (apart from pilot) may have got one untill they got their own design??.....thats only a guess!!!
BM |
#8
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Originally SAAF only had two wings, one for pilot and one for observer (same style as pilot but only half a wing). Later in WW2 as more trades were required RAF half wings were adopted for the new trades (e.g. AG). Navigators however continued to wear the old observer wing in the SAAF. It could be that your chap qualified early on in the war before before the AG brevet was adopted.
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#9
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After the war the SAAF adopted modified half-wings with red letters for the English and Afrikaans abbreviations for trades such as FE/BT, AG/LK, AP/LF. Then in the 1960s they changed to gold letters on a blue background.
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#10
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I tend to agree with Brian that the crown was carefully picked off.
I also thought the WWII crown over coat of arms was for all aircrew to start. Cheers, Alex |
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