A scarce WWII RAF Bomb Aimer’s brevet sweetheart brooch in enamel – a charming and evocative reminder of Bomber Command service.
A WWII period Royal Air Force Bomb Aimer’s sweetheart brooch, measuring 4.6 cm wide by 1.1 cm tall. The design replicates the official Bomb Aimer’s brevet, featuring a single wing in blue enamel with the central “B” within a laurel wreath. These half-wing brevets were introduced from 1942 to identify trained bomb aimers, predominantly serving in Bomber Command.
Sweetheart brooches were privately purchased tokens, often given by serving airmen to wives, mothers, or girlfriends as a keepsake of their service. This example is of base metal with enamel detail and retains its original pin fastening to the reverse.
Historical Note:
The RAF expanded rapidly during the Second World War, creating new specialist crew positions within heavy bombers. To distinguish these trades, the Air Ministry authorised new half-wing brevets including N (Navigator), E (Engineer), S (Signaller), and B (Bomb Aimer). Of these, the Bomb Aimer’s brevet is one of the scarcer sweetheart brooch designs encountered today, reflecting its more limited distribution.
*Condition*
The brooch shows age-related wear with tarnishing to the metal and some dulling of the pin mechanism. The blue enamel retains much of its colour, with only minor surface wear. The pin fastening remains functional. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
