Home Front - Aircraft Warning Service

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1.5"


Sterling
Screw Back


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1.5"



Screw Back


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1.5"



Screw Back

7/21/2001
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1.5"


Sterling
Pin Back


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1.5"


Sterling
Pin Back


This award was for members of the IV Fighter Command (California).
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1 11/16"
21/32"


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R & J Quetel Collection

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1 11/16"





7/21/2001
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2 1/16"
3/4"

NORSID CO. N.Y.C. Sterling
Pin Back
R & J Quetel Collection

Award for service for members of the First Fighter Command, New England and East Coast states.
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Paul Phillips
1/7/2002
This is the arm band used by Ivan J. Phillips during the war. It was kindly shared by his son Paul.
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Paul Phillips
1/7/2002
This is the AWS ID card used by Ivan J. Phillips during the war. It was kindly shared by his son Paul.
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MG Chase Collection
4/8/2003
2nd Interceptor Command pin for the Aircraft Warning Service. The "I 2 C" is the symbol. 1 Fighter Command (also the First Interceptor Command) covering the northern east coast from Maine to the mid-Atlantic states. 2 Interceptor Command - covered primarily Washington state on the west coast. III Interceptor Command went from No. Carolina to Texas, therefore included the Gulf Coast. I have absolutely nothing from this region in the way of literature, pins or data. IV Interceptor Command was mainly California. Your sample of the 1000/500 hours award (see above) shows the " F IV C" which would be for 4th Fighter Command - It seems the terms "Fighter" and "Interceptor" were interchangeable.
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MG Chase Collection
4/8/2003
Front and rear covers of the 1 Fighter Command booklet for spotters, showing the awards. From all I have collected, the 1st FC was the most organized; there is a great deal of material around from this section.
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MG Chase Collection
4/8/2003
Set of WW2 AWS badges. Note that the badge in the upper left corner is a Civil Defense pin, not an AWS pin. The US had toyed with some form of aircraft spotting plan as early as the mid-1930's. Some of the structure of the Aircraft Warning Service was patterned after the Royal Observer Corp in Brittain. The Aircraft Warning Service was officially instituted on July 15, 1942, and deactivated on May 29, 1944. There were both full-time military members of the AWS, and civilian volunteers attached as members of the the AWS, US Army Air Force. USAAF/AWS Civilian volunteers were enlisted in various ways, including American Legion members and Civil Defense workers.(many served duty with both operations). Any copy of the Spotter's Guides published both privately and by the National Aeronautics Council describe the process for reporting on "FLASH" forms and by telephone.
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MG Chase Collection
4/8/2003
Post war set of GOC badges. After the USAF became a separate branch of the military and we approached the Korean War and the COLD WAR period, the Ground Observer Corps (GOC) was again established. This time the USAF GOC had the similar structure of reporting and, again, used civilian volunteers in a program called "SKYWATCH".
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MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
This is the plate used on my grandmother's car during her service as an AWS Observer in New Hampshire.
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6 1/4"
2 1/2"



MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
Obverse and reverse sides of a window decal used in the IV Fighter Command region. (California)
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4"
2 1/2"



MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
ID Card for an Observer in California, Iv-Fighter Command area.
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MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
A Certificate of Service for a member of the IV Fighter Command in California. As with military duty, this person was automatically placed in the Reserves.
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MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
A certificate for an Observer in Texas, which was part of the 3rd Intercepter Command district. The person completed six weeks of training in aircraft identification. 3rd IC was mostly the Gulf Coast states.
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MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
This form was used by all AWS Observers to record and report each sighting of aircraft at an observation post. The data on the form was phoned in to a Filter Center, where the aircraft movement was plotted. Each sighting was also recorded in a log book at the observation post.
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MG Chase Collection
6/16/2004
The ID button used for Volunteer Observers in all parts of the country. Each observer would have worn these prior to receiving service award lapel pins (see above).
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11/32" pin, 2 7/32" card
1 5/8" pin, 2 23/32" card

1/20 GF ON STERLING
Pin
R. & J. Quetel Collection
8/24/2004
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Aviation Wings and Badges of the World Wars