Second World War
Between 1919 and 1935, the Observer Badge remained the same design as it had been during the First World War, issued for both airplane and lighter-than-air ratings. However, as developments progressed in military aviation, the concept of an Airplane Observer changed to necessitate the redesign of the Observer Badge and a change in the eligibility criteria. On 20 February 1940 the rating was changed to that of Combat Observer, followed by redesignation as Aircraft Observer on 4 September 1942.
By the time of the United States entry into the Second World War, there were three Observer Badges authorized by the Army Air Forces. The first was the Combat Observer Badge, which appeared as an Aviator Badge centered by a large O. For those qualified as Balloon Observers, a separate badge was created which was the Observer Badge augmented by a balloon insignia.
The third and final version of the Observer Badge was known as the Technical Observer Badge and appeared as an Aviator Badge centered on a combined T and O design. The Technical Observer Badge was awarded primarily to flight engineering personnel who were assigned as assistants to the flight engineer.
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