Army Qualification Badges
Army Air Force Wing Badges
Second World War
A Colonel and Flight Surgeon of the 11th Air Force based in Alaska wears embroidered wings.
Qualification badges for Army Aviators were originally adopted in 1913. The design was
revised in 1917 to one with a winged shield bearing the letters U.S. and again revised to the
modern appearing design without the letters U.S. in 1919. In addition to the familiar pilots
wings, any other flying personnel were authorized badges as aircraft became larger
and crews bigger. The date is the date that the particular design was introduced. In some
cases the title of the badge was changed.
Pilots
| 
| 
|
| Pilot
| Senior Pilot
| Command Pilot
|
| 1919
| 1937
| 1940
|
| 
|
| Balloon Pilot (1)
| Senior Balloon Pilot
|
| 1921
| 1940
|
| 
| 
|
| Service Pilot (2)
| Liaison Pilot (2)
| Glider Pilot
|
| 1942
| 1942
| 1942
|
Observers
| 
| 
|
| Observer
| Technical Observer (3)
| Balloon Observer
|
| 1921
| 1940
| 1940
|
Medical
| 
|
| Flight Surgeon (3)
| Flight Nurse (4)
|
| 1943
| 1943
|
Flight Surgeons' and Flight Nurses' badges were gold until 1944 when the color was changes to silver.
Crewmen
| 
| 
|
| Air Crew Member
| Bombardier
| Navigator
|
| 1942
| 1942
| 1942
|
| 
| 
|
| Aerial Gunner
| Flight Engineer
Early Version (5)
| Flight Engineer
Regulation Version
|
| 1943
| c. 1944
| 1945
|
Flying Instructor Insignia
Flying Instructor (6)
1943
This insignia was worn on the right uniform cuff not over the left breast as with other wing badges.
NOTES:
- Courtesy: Randy Scorby
- Courtesy: Bob Schwartz
- Courtesy: Jay Graybeal
- Courtesy: John Cook
- Courtesy: Doug Alexander
- Courtesy: Jay Graybeal
MORE: Manufacture Styles of Wing Badges
MORE: Bob Schwartz's Aviation Wings and Badges of World War II Site
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