Date please of unusual RAF wings

[keflin2612]

Hi all, please be gentle with me as this is my first post of what I hope will be many. Can some kind sole help to age these RAF wings for me please a guesstimate will do if you can't tie it down to an accurate date.
Much obliged.
Kev.

[David Tremain]

I don't know for sure, but they look fairly early to me. Like, just after the RAF was formed in April 1918. That's my guess, but I'm not basing it on any hard eveidence, just a gut instinct. David

[keflin2612]

Thanks Dave for your input, I was thinking along the same sort of lines but like you mine is only estimating.
Kev

[wardog]

Unable to see similar in 'Eagles Recalled', full size or miniture.
From that book, red used for the crown looks unusual for UK made wings in both Wars- Most wings have 10 feathers per wing, and the crown on your wing is set a bit high. Not much help to you I expect. Regards, Paul.

[keflin2612]

Any info is good info Paul cheers, I was wondering if they were privately made, as most officers had their uniforms made to measure why not their wings, as I guess there was no set pattern they had to be made to. I'm just baffled by the date, as you said most wings were Ten feathered.

[Unknownsoldier]

Something does not sit right with me, the crown doesn't look quite right, nor the material, so possibly a bazaar made set in India or similar?

Tom

[keflin2612]

Surely even if it was made in some where like India doesn't necessarily mean it's not right, as I said before there was no written down pattern for RAF wings was there?
What was stopping an Officer having his own wings made.

[RCAF_Mike]

I'd have to hold them in hand to pass a definite judgement, but from what I see here, personally, I like these wings very much and I'd be happy to own them.
Edit: as for a date, they look like a wartime wing that is theatre made....not necessarily an early one

[keflin2612]

Thanks for the input Mike, you obviously know far more about wings than I do, but am I right in thinking there is no set pattern for the wings and I'm not talking about the Red Crown because I have seen RAF wings before with Red Crowns I'm more on about the shape and the fact there are only 8 feathers.
It is hard to judge these wings just by looking at the photo's but when you look at them in the flesh, they do seem to have quite lot of age to them, I have handled quite a few ww2 wings over the years but none seem to compare to these for the feeling of age. It's hard to put into words.
Kev.

[wardog]

Mike, so from the pictures, you would think these wings are not UK or Canadian made? Regards, Paul.

[RCAF_Mike]

It's hard to say for sure without seeing it in person, but I will say that the badge appears to be made on black twill which is unusual. The red in the crown is a "Canadian Thing" but anyone could have done it anywhere really. Without any provenance as to where and when it was produced and by whom the most we can really do is speculate no? Red Crowns and feather counts vary on a wing by wing basis.....there were the "sealed" government patterns and then there were tailor shops (foreign and those at home in the UK and Canada) that hand spun their own to the buyer's liking.

This is my opinion from handling quite a few early canadian and british wings....and this is just my opinion as a wing collector, I have met others in my particular field of the hobby who believe things I don't and vice versa. I'd have to study this one further
It's definitely an unusual wing but I like it

[keflin2612]

Mike, I guessing you live in Canada I just wondered if it would be worth me sending the wings to you for closer inspection.
Cheers Kev.

[RCAF_Mike]

Kev, PM sent

[SAS1]

I'd agree with Mike. The red in the crown not particularly a Canadian only thing, and the shape very unusual for machine made, standard issue wings. British tailors tended to sell machine made wings conforming to a standard pattern (1939 dress regs show a ten feather wing), but those made in theatre can vary a lot in size and shape. I'd also agree they were probably theatre made and likely to be more like wartime rather than anything early.

[arrestingu]

interesting..i think inter war period and theatre made ..appears flight suit type backing so sidcott type probably 20s/30s..certainly unusual..
Steve