Show your original Japanese Paratrooper wings

[Eric Queen]

Here are a couple of mine. These two uniform removed examples are my favorites.

[triplecanopy]

Well, since you asked. Here is a nice officer grade Golden Kite in bullion. This badge is illustrated in Bragg & Turner's Book, Parachute Badges and Insignia of the World published in 1979 as B&T # 613

[triplecanopy]

This is a woven Golden Kite that is very well made.

[Eric Queen]

Well Bob, as you already know, in my opinion your bullion piece is the best example on the face of the planet. I wouldn't throw the bevo example out of bed either.......

 

I believe one just like yours (bevo) is being worn in this photo (the only photo I have ever seen or heard of of the badge being worn)

[triplecanopy]

Thanks Eric,

It is warming to the eye balls to know that it passes the test.

All the best.

[Eric Queen]

Here is any NOS bullion. Anyone else have some to share?

[Tonomachi]

Here is my collection. The upper right wing has an interesting story which I bought some time ago in the early 1980s from an individual who used to have a shop in Berkeley. The story I got from the dealer was that this was found in between the pages of a book that was part of a grouping that came out of a WW2 USMC footlocker. The marine had supposedly obtained this on the Island of Saipan at the airport that his unit had overrun during the invasion by US Forces. When I first saw it at this shop in Berkeley it wasn't for sale. When I got home I checked the history books and found that a Japanese paratrooper unit was in fact defending the airport on Saipan during the invasion. A year or so later at an insignia show in San Francisco this same dealer had rented a table and there was the wing. He had apparently changed his mind and decided to sell it. There was another dealer at this same show who collected nothing but Japanese militaria and is no longer with us but I asked his opinion about this Japanese paratrooper wing. He told me that he didn't think they ever existed. However I took a chance and decided to buy it. It is a good thing that I did because the other dealer who felt that this wing never existed had gone back looking for this wing.

 

 

 

 

[Eric Queen]

Some very nice original insignia there Dennis. It still blows my mind that there is a total of one (1) known photo of these badges being worn.

[triplecanopy]

I just now saw the post by Dennis. I guess I. have been a bit busy. That white Kite is simply remarkable. I have never seen one like it. Very nice.

[castagain]

Outstanding wings shown in this thread, thanks for sharing the photos.  Here's a photo of the wing in my collection, appears to be the same as in Eric's post #1.

 

Stay well,

Donovan

 

[ParaOps]

Here's my little additions.

 

Paul