What kind of Wings R these ?

[442RCT]

What kind of wings are these ?
Are they CAP or are they Observer, or something else ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ww2-pilot-wings-a-2 ... 4cef66d127

 

[MikeyB-17]

There's a similar pair here, listed as ATC Flight Engineer.

http://www.ww2wings.com/wings/usaaf/usaafatc.shtml

 

[Silver Surfer]

those are my wings,and when i first got them i was told they were given to p-40 pilots, thus the 3 blade prop. an ebayer contacted me to say, for sure they were c.a.p.s wings. next, another ebayer, who said he was in c.a.p.s [civil air patrol], told me no, they are not c.a.p.s wings, but likely observer wings [due to the circle in the center]. i sure as hell dont know, and would be interested in something definative regarding them. funny how so many experts on ebay have so many differing opinions. ps: i have changed the listing twice to reflect the new, and then newer info.

 

[Hamsterbear]

Those are Civil Air Patrol observer wings. In WWII, the CAP flew mostly "spotter" missions mainly looking for submarines off the coasts. Usually there was an observer flying with the pilot. Lots of men beyond draft age, (too old for combat) performed CAP duties as a way to contribute to the war effort, and it was also a means to fly your private aircraft during the war, as planes were grounded in the beginning of hostilities, and also to obtail rationed fuel.
There's lots of web hits on CAP history, etc., as well as books written.
-Brian

 

[Silver Surfer]

thanx, brian. i will state as much when relisting the wings. v

 

[Hamsterbear]

AAAAAAAAAAAGH!
My bad....
Those are CAP PILOT wings, the observer ones were only a 1/2 wing. Sorry, I didn't have my wing reference book when iIposted that. Also, the center was enameled, and it appears yours has worn away.
-Brian

 

[unclegrumpy]

Also, the center was enameled, and it appears yours has worn away.

These are post WW II CAP pilot wings, which didn't have any enamel on them. It is hard to date them exactly, but they look to be 1960's to 1970's vintage.

 

[Silver Dollar]

I'm going to have to agree with unclegrumpy on this. I assume that the WWII vintage type would not have clutch pins. I'm not sure when the clutch back pin came into fashion but my feeling is post war. Another thing is when I googled the C.A.P., the wings looked bent up higher than these. The eBay sample looks like the wings are bent down.

 

[unclegrumpy]

The "bent up" winged CAP pilot badge is the one used in WW II, and has an enameled insignia below it. Everyone I have seen has been pin back.

As a fyi, the clutch style fasteners came out in 1943, but were not used on every type of US insignia produced after that. Generally, the AAF wings that were government issue later in the war were clutch back, but one could buy nicer quality wings from any number of makers, most of which kept the long pin style fasteners to the end of the war.

By the Korean War, most insignia being produced both for the government to be issued and for private purchase were clutch back. There were still large stocks insignia made early in WW II that was pin back, and some of that was being issued/used well into the 1960's.