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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
6/10/2010 4:54:23 PM | I have now gotten most of my fathers medals together and plan on having them mounted before the end of the year (as a Christmas present to myself) if possible.
I have been looking at the list of Entitlement awards and while I now know what all the 15 + medals or awards are...2 still have me stumped.
It has been a while since I asked anyone about these so I am sorry if I am repeating myself as I just can't seem to figure them out.
Can someone tell me what a AVN badge is? (is this my dad's bomber wings?)
Can someone tell me what a CM badge is?
There are 2 notes high lighted below ...one states that high lighted areas are no longer given by the government and must be purchased commercially and the other refers to an award from a foreign government....(I believe this one refers to a missing Viet Nam medal I did get replaced)
Any help with these 2 badge questions would be appreciated.
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Paul Bellamy
6/10/2010 6:41:42 PM | AVN would indeed appear to be your father's Wings.
CM may be Certificate of Merit or Commendation Medal.
I'll keep digging and report back if anything else turns up.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
6/10/2010 7:17:55 PM | Paul,
Thanks Paul.
I kinda wondered if it was his bomber wings...some suggested that the CM could stand for Combat Medical...but that did not sound right....I hope I can solve that one.
I was also just wondering if anyone could tell me how many times the 401st won the Distinguished Unit award?
Something else comes to mind.. the Entitlement page also says he was awarded the Good conduct 2 times...once when in the Army Air Corp and the second time when in the USAF...so how do you distinguish between the two...I think they look very similar.
Another thought just occurred to me..was there bomber wings and gunner wings? He was a Ball Turret gunner and also radio operator....I am getting confused.
Jackie
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win-win
6/10/2010 10:22:34 PM | Hi Jackie:
(I'll E-mail this with pictures but):
Of the several WWII AAF 'silver wings' designs, two have 'bombs':
- - The Bombardier wings show a long-skinny bomb in the center; but
- - The Aerial Gunner wings show a shorter-stubbier bomb (in the center). (Why 'gunner' wings design would show a bomb is beyond me).
And since Radiomen were also trained Aerial Gunners, his wings would be the latter design.
Win Bryson
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Paul Bellamy
6/11/2010 6:59:04 AM | "win-win":
The Aerial Gunner wings show a shorter-stubbier bomb (in the center). (Why 'gunner' wings design would show a bomb is beyond me).
The Air Gunner Wings have a winged bullet in the centre, not a bomb. 😉
Jackie, the 401st were awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations:
The first was for the 11th January 1944 mission to Oscherslaben.
The second was for the 20th February 1944 mission to Leipzig, where the Group led the entire 1st Bomb Division.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
6/11/2010 7:30:25 AM | This is very interesting Paul. And it brings up another question. Dad was in the 613th Lt W. McKeon crew...is there a way to find out when they arrived at Deenthorpe?
I though that the 401st had won at least 1 Distinguished Unit award....and it is not checked on Dad's entitlement page and I need to verify somehow that it not being marked is a mistake. I can't remember where I put his papers at this time as I have been sorting 22 years worth of things from 3 homes....I know I am losing my mind too! 😢
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
6/11/2010 9:22:16 AM | Air crews usually arrived in the UK anything up to a month prior to their first combat mission.
Gunners seem to have been sent to the Snettisham gunnery school (aka The Wash) for a refresher course in the latest techniques, before arriving at their assigned station.
With your Father's first recorded mission being at the end of may 1944, it is unlikely he took part in either of the two missions for which the Group received the DUC.
Paraphrasing slightly from Executive Order 9396 (2 Dec. 43) which authorized the award:
All members of the unit may wear the decoration, whether or not they personally participated in the acts for which the unit was cited.
Only those assigned to the unit at the time of the action cited may wear the decoration as a permanent award.
This could account for the DUC/PUC box not being checked on his entitlements.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
6/11/2010 9:55:58 AM | Paul,
Thank you for explaining it. At least I now understand it. I sometimes think the military is as clear as mud..
Now all I need to do is find out about the CM badge and then I think most of my questions will be answered.
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
6/11/2010 11:37:56 AM | The "CM" isn't a mistyped "GCM" (Good Conduct Medal) perhaps?
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
6/11/2010 12:36:57 PM | Paul,
No...it is not the Good Conduct medal..although he was awarded not one, but two of them...one from the Army Air Corp and one from the Air Force. It is very clearly a ~CM~ badge and I still have no idea what it is.
Tried searching for the correct communication badge also for Dad today and was not able to find one. So the search continues on both....
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
12/28/2010 6:09:46 PM | Hi Jackie,
Does your Father's MOS appear on his paperwork at all?
A WWII qualified radio operator would be entitled to wear the triangular Communications Specialist sleeve patch... so possibly the CM entitlement refers to that.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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donaldbyers
12/28/2010 7:32:00 PM | Did he have any medical training as their is a Combat Medical Badge?
Don
Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
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