Pilot`s Wings

[PhilB]

In the Steve McQueen film "The War Lover", an officer appears who looks to have USAAF wings on his left and RAF (or RCAF?) wings on his right breast. This is a WW2 example, but have fliers always been able to show dual qualification in this way? Phil B

[Jonathan Saunders]

QUOTE (Phil_B @ Sep 13 2006, 01:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In the Steve McQueen film "The War Lover", an officer appears who looks to have USAAF wings on his left and RAF (or RCAF?) wings on his right breast. This is a WW2 example, but have fliers always been able to show dual qualification in this way? Phil B

My understanding is to wear dual wings you had to have served in the force. So this character would have been RAF prior to the US turning up for WW2. I think US airman that had served in the French Air Force in WW1 did a similar thing upon transfer to the 1917/8 US Air Service.

[Dolphin]

I think US airman that had served in the French Air Force in WW1 did a similar thing upon transfer to the 1917/8 US Air Service.

Jonathan

The Americans who transferred to the USAS from the French service did wear their French pilot's badges on their US uniforms. This was made easy by the French custom of wearing the badge on the right breast, rather than the left used by the British and US air services.

Gareth

[Doc2]

My understanding is to wear dual wings you had to have served in the force. So this character would have been RAF prior to the US turning up for WW2. I think US airman that had served in the French Air Force in WW1 did a similar thing upon transfer to the 1917/8 US Air Service.

At least in the US Army today, the rule is that you must have been officially awarded the wings (this applies to flight wings as well as parachute wings) by the other nation. There is no requirement to have actually served in the other nation's forces. Doc2

[rgalley]

Phil,

In WW2 American pilots who served with the RAF (usually via RCAF, but not always) prior to USA's declaration of war and who subsequently transferred to USAAF wore RAF / RCAF wings on their right breast with USAAF wings on the left breast. This was commonplace, officially sanctioned and marked out the individual accordingly as being something of a battle-hardened "old hand". Don Blakeslee , James Goodson etc. are prime examples of this. (I also seem to recall reading that Hub Zemke wore a USAAF "garrison cap" made in RAF blue material?)

I understand that similar happened (re: wearing of wings) in WW1, but have not seen photo evidence of it ... yet.

Regards

Richard

[Guest baclightning]

In WW2 American pilots who served with the RAF (usually via RCAF, but not always) prior to USA's declaration of war and who subsequently transferred to USAAF wore RAF / RCAF wings on their right breast with USAAF wings on the left breast. This was commonplace, officially sanctioned and marked out the individual accordingly as being something of a battle-hardened "old hand". Don Blakeslee , James Goodson etc. are prime examples of this. (I also seem to recall reading that Hub Zemke wore a USAAF "garrison cap" made in RAF blue material?)

Here is an example of WW2 USAAF aces Don Gentile and John Godfrey wearing both sets of wings.

[PhilB]

Thanks, B.