Material: Brass
Diameter: 23 mm
Description: The structural uniform component represents the historic Royal Canadian Air Cadets youth organization during the global conflict era. Tightly conforming along the upper circular arc are the words identifying the aviation branch, while the country name balances out the lower border in matching embossed block typography. The central motif centers a swooping eagle with outspread, meticulously feathered wings, positioned directly underneath an early stylized version of Canada's national botanical symbol. The reverse side features a robust, integrated wire loop shank accompanied by a crisply stamped factory backmark reading Smith & Wright Limited, Birmingham.
Circa: Mid to Late 20th Century
Notes:
The Air Cadet League of Canada was officially chartered in April 1941 to train teenage boys in aviation skills, navigation, and military drill to establish a reliable pipeline of young recruits for wartime service. While many Canadian uniforms featured domestic hardware from local makers like Scully in Montreal, major manufacturing hubs in England like Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter were heavily contracted to help fulfill massive Commonwealth wartime uniform orders.