During the First World War no real standard wings existed for the US Army Signal Corp. Air Service. Many wings were cloth but many jewelers made metal wings during the war at the request of pilots. The real wings were based on Special Regulation #41 issued on 15 August 1917 and were to be made on cloth with embroidery. But right from the beginning Pilots had jewelers make the metal wings because the cloth ones did not hold up to washing uniforms.

The wings shown here are based on the 1917 design by WC Linkr for a Reserve or Junior Pilot. This was not a pilot held in Reserve, but one who came from the reserves and the junior pilot was new to the service. In Europe a 1/2 wing was awarded to someone who was carried on an aircraft and was not a pilot. The US 1/2 wings did not last long as the pilots were made fun off by their English and French counterparts. Making these 1/2 wings rather rare. They are one of the few 1/2 wings used in the US Military.

This is a museum quality reproduction in Sterling Silver of an original wing. The wing is hallmarked LeBreve of Paris and is 925, the European designation for sterling. The wing is 3 1/8 inches in width with the “US” letters 24-karat gold plate. If you view this wing closely  it is an almost exact copy of the Hummrichous wing from Memphis TN.

The wings that are shown are a museum quality reproduction of wings that were designed by Tiffany, and is 2 7/8 inches.  This museum quality reproduction is made of  Sterling Silver with the letters US gold plated.