WW2 silver discharge pins

[Daniel Murphy]

Here are two silver private purchase Discharge Pins for wounded soldiers and sailors. One is a screwback and the other a pinback. both are sterling silver and they are shown flanking a issued Bronze discharge pin for non-wounded soldiers. These were given the nickname "Ruptured Duck" by the servicemen. Again these items belong to D.M. Carr and are used with his permission. He has told me these silver discharge pins were only used early in WW2.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[Daniel Murphy]

Reverse.

[Gary B]

Hi Daniel,

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with you ref your statement about the silver Discharge pins. Unlike the WWI discharge pins where silver pins were used to denote that the recipient had been wounded; the WWII discharge pins made in silver did not denote/mean anything. WWII discharge pins were produced in a variety of materials including: silver, 10K gold, plastic (initially blue plastic but this was rejected since it would blend into the blue suits popular at the time), brass etc. Silver pins were just made of a "higher" quality metal.

As for silver pins being produced in the early part of the war this is also incorrect. Initial versions of the Duck were enamelled brass (see the 1943 Dec National Geographic issue for an example). These enamelled pins were for service in the Army prior to 1941 which were later modified in design and award criteria to become the Duck as we now know it.

The pinback version you picture is actually a discharge pin for women. Women did not have a button hole on their lapels so a pinback version was made for them to pin to their dresses etc.

There are Ruptured Ducks that were manufactured to have the mini enamelled ribbon bar lapels pins (the kind found issued in the award cases) attached beneath the ducks. I wil have to check to see if I have one with a PH on it.

Gary B

Edited January 3, 2008 by Gary B

[Paul R]

I have nothing to add other than this is a very interesting topic.

[Ulsterman]

...and of course the cloth versions.....

weren't there also private purchase versions of the duck?

[Scott]

Here's one I have with an enameled 'Air Corps' banner beneath it.

Scott

[Gary B]

Hi,

First off, nice piece Scott. The bannered ducks are one of the rarer ones to find. The bannered ones seem to have been produced by 2 different manufacturers as there are 2 different versions of these. There are many different bannered ducks some of which I do not have (in my collection of about 200 +).

Yes, there were cloth versions of the duck. The color of the background cloth matches the color of the uniform so it is pretty easy to determine what branch of service the particular cloth duck was intended for. Some of the different colors include: white, blue, OD, tan, green and even cadet gray. I have only seen 1 bullion version of this insignia which, fortunately, is in my collection.

To answer the question of private purchase pieces; yes, there were many versions that one could purchase on the market both cloth and metal (the bannered one pictured is one such example). As far as I am aware the only type the Government issued was the standard button lapel version in gold color. Individuals could buy in 10K gold, sterling silver, bannered with your Service affiliation, pinback, screw back, cluthback, double clutchback etc.

There also seems to be a market which grew around the little insignia. There are license plate holders, grave markers, plaques, rings, cuff links, banners, book ends, cigarette lighters etc.

Gary B

Edited January 4, 2008 by Gary B

[Scott]

Here's a solid brass picture frame, about 4x8 inches; it weighs about 2.5 pounds (!).

Scott