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WWI, U.S. AIR SERVICE, BOMBING MILITARY AVIATOR WING, STERLING, BMA, ATTRIBUTED

$6,934.44 CAD

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Ships from United States Us

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Shipping options

Seller handling time is 1 business day Details
No shipping price specified to CA
Ships from United States Us

Return policy

Full refund available within 30 days Details

Purchase protection

Payment options

PayPal accepted
PayPal Credit accepted
Venmo accepted
PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express accepted
Maestro accepted
Amazon Pay accepted
Nuvei accepted

Item traits

Category:

Badges

Quantity Available:

Only one in stock, order soon

Condition:

Used

Country/Region of Manufacture:

United States

Conflict:

WW I (1914-18)

Original/Reproduction:

Original

Theme:

Militaria

Region of Origin:

United States

Listing details

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View seller policies

Shipping discount:

No combined shipping offered

Posted for sale:

October 12

Item number:

1773468069

Item description

WWI, U.S. AIR SERVICE, BOMBING MILITARY AVIATOR WING, BMA, STERLING, VINTAGE, ATTRIBUTED Provenance: J. Duncan Campbell Collection. Weight: 6g This exact BMA Wing is featured within Duncan's Reference Book "Aviation Badges and Insignia of the United States Army, 1913-1946, Image #43, pages 19-21. NOTE: This BMA Wing originally sold at Bonhams on 2 June 2009 with the sold hammer price of $4387.00 and that was 16 years ago. For those of you that still have Bonhams Catalogue dated June 2, 2009, please see pages 192-193 and attached images. As per Bonhams, this BMA wing is attributed to COL. Stacy F. Hinkle We were unable to find any information on Stacy F. Hinkle. We were able to find historical information on Stacy C. Hinkle. This warrants further research. Stacy C. Hinkle served as a bombardier in WWI. A bombardier's wing belonging to him has been noted in Bonhams auctions. Did Bonhams make an error with the middle initial? This Bombing Military Aviator Wing is a sterling silver metal badge, including two wings in a horizontal position with a falling bomb at their apex. The gilt metal letters "U.S." are horizontally soldered above the point of the bomb. Slender bomb with straight fins. The point of the bomb is gilt. The thin tapering wings are cut in detailed feathering. The wing is bulged outward giving it dimension. This is a jeweler made Sterling BMA wing. Pin back with functional catch. In preparation for a never published book on US wings, collector and author Don Chalif put together a chapter on the Bombing Military Aviator badge of 1918-1919. ?Until the early 1960?s the Bombing Military Aviator badges worn during World War I were unknown to the most advanced collectors, as well as to the most prestigious military museums or the Air Force historical section. It was in the 1960?s, almost fifty years after they were worn that the author discovered the illustrated example. Col. Duncan Campbell a life-long collector of United States pilot and aircrew badges and friend was contacted concerning this unusual item, which displayed some obvious characteristics of having been manufactured during the Great War. Col. Campbell examined the badge and stated that over the years he had heard vague rumors that such a badge was worn. Subsequent investigation substantiated Bombing Military Aviators were infact trained specifically as bombing pilots with sizable units having been shipped to France during 1918. Further research during the intervening years by advanced U.S. collectors of the World War I period have located a number of surviving Bombing Military Aviators who have contributed their badges to those collectors?. ?Ample testimony from these former airmen confirms without shadow of a doubt that the Bombing Military Aviator existed and that the distinctive badge was commonly worn by those who held this distinctive classification. Photographic evidence further substantiates the record?. Investigations have confirmed that the Bombardment Military Aviator badge was designed by 2nd Lt. Granville "Granny" Guttersen of St. Paul, Minnesota. He died on 4 December 1918 of influenza at Ellington, Field. It must be presumed that this was an unofficial badge, but acceptance by the Army as evidenced in photographs previously mentioned that it may be raised to the category of semi-official, due to usage. This is one of the more unusual and scarcer badges worn by Air Service Airmen during the war. These Bombing Military Aviator wings were tolerated until May 15, 1918 when the Adjutant General declared in a memorandum that all specialties other than pilot would wear the Observer wing, no exceptions. This was made official in 1919. These are extremely rare as they were only worn by a select few and only for a very brief time. ?In the book, "Ellington Field 1918," there are photos of at least fifty officers wearing the Bombardment Military Aviator badge above the left breast pocket of the uniform. Several examples: These images are not included. Page 260: Lieut. Harold W. Cavanaugh Page 265: Lieut. Edwin G. Thiele Page 289: Lieut. Olliffe Ewart Thomas Another photograph taken in October 1918 illustrates a group of 68 officers in New York city awaiting shipment overseas. Over 60 of the officers are wearing the Bombing Military Aviator badge. Reference: Aviation Badges and Insignia of the United States Army 1913-1946, J. Duncan Campbell Reference: Bonhams Butterfields, Antique Arms, Armor and Modern Sporting Guns, Tuesday, June 2, 2009 SHIPPING: Please contact us prior to making payment so we can discuss your shipping options. Unless we hear from you otherwise, this will be shipped via United Parcel Service, Full insurance, Adult Signature is required. We will not ship this to a Post Office Box. Other shipping options are available. International Buyers Please Note: We do not ship outside of the United States! No Exceptions. In addition, we will not ship to third party shippers or any other international shipping hubs such as International Shipping (EIS), EIS 110 INTERNATIONALE BLVD, GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL 60139-2080, or ACI Express Shipping. No buying agents such as Intercommerce America. No international buyers, no freight forwarding companies, no gift addresses, no non U.S. citizen buyers, and no non U.S. based forms of payment. If you place a bid, or make a purchase, we will cancel your bid, and or cancel your purchase! If you wish to make a purchase, you will have to find someone located within the United States to make the purchase for you. They would be responsible to send the package to you. We do ship to APO and FPO addresses.

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