rathbonemuseum

Rick,

Thanks for posting those. Here is my dillema. I agree with you that all the badges are probably Egyptian and all are pre-1952. The issue is, if the wing I post below is definitely WWII period as I have confirmed with some sources, what period are the ones above. It now gets down to the nitty gritty that I can't make any more headway!

Leigh,

I thought that as well but none of the big Italian collectors I know think it is Italian. So I am stumped.

Tod

rick,

about 3.5 to 4 inches on each side.

Tod

No one has seen this before?

Any middle eastern or Egyptian air force experts?

Dear Avsar,

I have done the best I can with the existing photo, which is terrible and all I have. Please let me know if this is of any help.

Thanks,

Tod Rathbone

tod@rathbonemuseum.com

Ted,

I am so jealous!

Here it is

...

finally, white summer dress

Tod Rathbone

www.rathbonemuseum.com

second, a service dress tunic with parade belt to a lieutenant

As no one has added anything since January I will put three in from my site. First, Air Force coat with dagger to a major.

I meant to say "interesting"

I was wondering if anyone was familiar with this interesting variation on the Turkish pilot badge. Usually the WWI models feature the cypher of the Sultan. But this badge features a red crescent. It is believed that this is an authentic piece based on the manufacture. Any help would be most appreciated.

Cheers,

Tod Rathbone

www.rathbonemuseum.com

tod@rathbonemuseum.com

Hi,

I believe these wings are Egyptian kingdom, pre-Republic but I have no idea what time period they may be. Egypt is the only country that I know of that features a crescent and three stars in its wing designs. Can anyone out there help me out in terms of nailing these down?

Thanks,

Tod

Hello,

This is a request to those in Europe who may see them first but are there any new (newish) Latvian badge reproductions coming on the market? Specifically the pre-1940 Latvian Naval aviation badge? I know current badges are being sold, and they are similar in design. Those I am not worried about. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Tod Rathbone

www.rathbonemuseum.com

tod@rathbonemuseum.com

Doug,

The RAF Transport Command originally started service as the RAF Ferry Command which started as the RAF Atlantic Ferry Service. As the name infers, this was a service to ferry planes from the US and Canada to Great Britain. It was made an RAF command in July 1941. In 1943, the Ferry Command was subsumed into a larger, global Transport Command, not unlike the U.S. Air Transport Command. The original mission of the Ferry Command, that of ferrying airplanes across the Atlantic, was now contained within 45 Air Transport Group. The use of the Astral Crown is consistent with the use of the Tudor crown versus Astral crown in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy. The Ferry Command and Transport command were under RAF command, but most of the pilots were contract civilians. The majority were not commissioned RAF personnel as far as I know.

This is different from the ATA, or Air Transport Auxiliary, which was a true civilian volunteer auxiliary service. It worked with the RAF but at the behest of aviation manufacturers in Britain, like De Havilland. It was there job to deliver planes from the factories to bases. Uniquely, women were allowed to fly in the ATA.

Which brings us the wing. Under the RAF in the wing it says A.T.G.45, which stands for Air Transport Group 45, which as mentioned above, was the group after 1943 that ferried aircraft across the Atlantic. This particular tunic belonged to an American by the name of R. W. Ainsley. I believe this the same as Raymond W. Ainsley who lived in San Diego and passed away in 1994. I have contacted his widow to see if she can shed any light on his career.

The button I picture is from another Air Transport Command tunic, a summer one, owned by a friend.

Now if I could only find some buttons!

Hello everyone. I recently purchased a nice RAF Transport Command tunic named and badged to an American. I would very much like to restore the tunic. As is sometimes the case, all the buttons have been cut off. Might you have some I could acquire in that button box of yours?

I have attached images of the tunic and the buttons I am looking for. Requires four jacket buttons and four pocket buttons.

Here is the tunic:

Here is the button:

Thanks for your help.

Tod

tod@rathbonemuseum.com

http://www.rathbonemuseum.com

final one

next

next

next view

next view

It is not often I am able to find foreign small air force WWII or pre-WWII wings (i.e. anything not from US, UK and Commonwealth, Germany or Italy) in its original box. These just were not kept around. It is even harder when one finds the badge and the box and they are numbered together. This is just such a case. Please take a look at the latest find!

Thanks Tod, I didn't know

Fran?ois et. al.,

There is so little information on the badges of the baltics. It is really hard to know what is what. I posted the input about the Latvian badge because it is relatively unknown. I agree that all the pilot pictures show men wearing the badge.

Cheers,

Tod