Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 294:
Description
WWII USAAF Named Pilot-Instructor Uniform Grouping – 2nd Lt. Arnold B. Fellows (O-800659), with Sterling Pilot Wings, Engraved ID Bracelet, Dog Tag and Victory Ring Offered here is a well-documented, personally named World War II U.S. Army Air Forces officer’s uniform grouping attributed to 2nd Lieutenant Arnold B. Fellows, service number O-800659. The lot centers on his four-pocket olive-drab service coat and matching garrison cap, the coat’s lower sleeve bearing an embroidered pilot-instructor cuff patch, together with a pin-back sterling pilot wing badge, a sterling curb-link identification bracelet engraved ARNOLD B. FELLOWS and O-800659, a WWII single-notch dog tag stamped FELLOWS, ARNOLD B, O-800659, T-42 43, and blood type O, a sterling ‘V for Victory’ signet ring, and associated rank and branch insignia. The embroidered wing device worn low on the sleeve cuff, rather than as a breast device, identifies Fellows as a flight instructor, one of the thousands of officers who staffed the primary, basic, and advanced training fields established across the United States after 1941 to feed the AAF’s rapidly expanding combat squadrons. These men were charged with standardizing flight technique for a citizen army learning to fly virtually overnight, and the instructor’s cuff insignia is a scarcer, more specialized marking than the standard pilot wing. Fellows’ dog tag carries the characteristic WWII single-notched pattern with tetanus inoculation date T-42 43, and his personal silverwork – the Kimcraft-marked bracelet and the patriotic Victory ring – reflect the wartime custom of aviators carrying engraved identification against loss or injury. The size 36R coat retains its printed Quartermaster label for Spec. P.Q.D. No. 149A, dated June 24, 1942, with an August 1942 contract date, and a faint penciled laundry number inside; it displays USAAF shoulder sleeve insignia (worn), collar U.S. and winged-propeller devices, a gilt second-lieutenant bar, gilt buttons, and the yellow-embroidered instructor’s wing patch at the cuff. The pin-back pilot wing is marked STERLING on the reverse. The matching garrison cap, piped and marked size 7 1/8 to the interior label, carries a second gilt bar and shows an eagle device. Loose atop the coat are the additional cap eagle insignia, a second unattached second-lieutenant bar, and a separate felt AAF shoulder patch. Also included are the sterling curb-link ID bracelet, the notched dog tag on its ball chain, and the sterling Victory ring, all showing appropriate tarnish and wear consistent with age and service use. Condition overall is very good: the wool coat shows light surface dust, lint, and minor moth tracking; the loose felt AAF patch has notable edge losses and nibbling; the sterling wings, ring, and bracelet carry honest patina throughout. A well-assembled named USAAF instructor grouping in which a matched set of engraved silver identification pieces ties directly to the uniform and insignia of one officer’s wartime training service.
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