Original Item: One-of-a-kind. The renowned winged-eight, the emblem of the Eighth Air Force, was designed by former Air Force Major Ed Winter, a native of Savannah, Georgia. This framed insignia is the original proposed designed for the 8th Air Force insignia patch, it is drawn to scale and dated April, 1943 which was two months before the insignia was officially approved. This date indicates that this is one of the original prototype versions hand drawn by Major Winter himself. The framed insignia is signed by Winter and the frame has a label on the reverse side from an art store in Savannah Georgia. This is an exceptionally rare part of World War Two history and worthy of any WW2 Army Air Force collection.

The Revolutionary and Civil Wars had some use of unit insignia but it was never coordinated in any official government/military capacity.  In World War I, General John J. Pershing wanted his units to wear patches that would quickly and clearly indicate a person's division.  He ordered all military units to develop an insignia with the added desire that this would also create an 'esprit de corps', meaning a common spirit that would inspire a strong sense of camaraderie within each group of soldiers.  In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson created the Heraldic Program Office under the War Department General Staff to create and approve coats of arms for the Army.  This office not only designed identifying insignia for various units but also created decorative ribbons, medals, flags and badges.  By World War II, every unit had identifying insignia.
 
When the Eighth Air Force was created in January, 1942, the men wore the traditional Air Force patch on their shoulders, which had a blue background representing the sky and a white star with gold wings. A red circle sat in the middle of the star.   The wings of the star stretched up to make a "V" for victory.  On May 20, 1943, a new design was approved for the Eighth Air Force that kept the blue background, but had a golden winged 8 with the traditional white star and red disk inside it.  Stars and Stripes magazine credits Major E.D. Winter of Savannah, Georgia as co-designer of the new insignia. The wings on the 8 of the initially approved design were upswept; however, when the final design was approved on June 5, 1943, the wings were stubbed in more of a "V" shape.  According to Lane Callaway, the historian at Barksdale Air Force Base, the second design was most likely done at the behest of General Ira C. Eaker as Commander of the Eighth and superseded the design of the original, upswept wings. Both versions of the insignia are considered correct as there are photos of General Eaker during the war wearing both versions of the shoulder patch.
 
So while Stars and Stripes newspaper did credit Major Winters as being the co-designer of the symbol of the 8th Air Force, Major Winter designed the version with the upswept wings that was later modified by Eaker. Interestingly, before he was transferred to the Mediterranean Theatre, Eaker had a punch bowl and nine cups made out of sterling silver for him and his close friends stationed with him at High Wycombe, England. They were to be used to toast one another after the war when the friends would gather for reunions.  He had the insignia of the Eighth Air Force engraved in the bowl - using Winters' design with the upswept wings.  

History of the Eight Air Force in WWII:
The "Might Eight" was established on 22 February 1944 by the redesignation of VIII Bomber Command at RAF Daws Hill in High Wycombe, England, the Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European Theater of World War II (1939/41–1945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe AOR; carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the low countries, and Germany; and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. It was the largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment.