Unknown Air Gunners Badge

[Mark K]

Earlier in the week I ran this large Air Gunners Badge approx 8-5 inches as a Royal Air Force Air Gunners Badge as I could not find a Canadian Equivlant of it any were and if you will pardon the pun it was shot down in flames as being R.A.F so I really dont know what I still have it would appear to be a vintage piece by the kings crown. the overall constuction is good and looks to be of the right period But as yet I still dont know if its real a fantasy piece or an obscure unit badge that was (POSSIBLY) attached to a flight jacket or was it the units baseball jersey patch any help and or any comments would be appreciated.

Regards Mark K

[Teutonicknights]

Mark check this out:

Andrew Charles "Andy" Mynarski

Mike

Its close but not exactly the same

[Mark K]

Thanks for the thread mike it made for intresting reading but the example shown was still not the same .

Regards Mark K

[Teutonicknights]

Might give you some hints for your quest though....

Mike

[Mark K]

I agree there are some similarities the fist holding lightning bolts reminds me of a US badge that I have seen before I just cant remember which one it was thanks for your help Mike.

Regards Mark K

[Teutonicknights]

Seem like the bolts have something to do with engineer, or electrician? maybe?

[Mark K]

I wish I knew mike as Adrian stated it is not an official badge of the R.A.F so it has me stumped I will have to look around some more to see if I can find an example somewere I wonder if it is a badge used by another commonwealth country .

Regards Mark K

[Teutonicknights]

Thats possible, I was just looking on google and there are alot of similar ones but not with the bolts in the hand etc.

Mike

[Mark K]

I was just doing the same Mike and found an example at the Collectors Guild of a R.C.A.F Canadian wireless operators patch that is the same as the fist holding the lightning bolts so that gives me a little more info.

[oldlincolnian]

I think I have your answer..... its a post war association badge. The AG is clearly Air Gunner and the hand holding the " lightning bolts" is the symbol used by communications operators. Air Gunners were trained and mustered in UK and the muster of WIRELESS AIR Gunner was largely trained in Canada for the RAF and the RCAF. On demob many of these old musters formed associations for social interest and wore blazer badges. Operationally some land based wireless operators ( badged to the lightning hand) later mustered after training as WAG aircrew and wore both the hand and the AG badge while many trained in Canada and awarded the WAG RCAF badge, which was officially not supposed to be worn by RAF personnel, but photographic evidence shows it sometimes was. So, to summarise.....my educated guess would be a WAG association badge.