Must admit I still have a 'virgin' Master's badge (complete with 'brass' ****ehawk) along with a couple of 'E' brevets (yeah, yeah Flying Badges) as they were the finest rank badges I've ever seen (still).
Brian do you remember when you got that badge? The original master aircrew badge didn't have the brass "****ehawk", that was added when the "star" system was abandoned in 1950 and NCO aircrew reverted to the original system, with the addition of a brass eagle over the chevrons.
The star system was as follows. All on a cloth "caudron" shaped badge within a wreath with an eagle above
Aircrew I - three stars with crown above
Aircrew II - three stars
Aircrew III - two stars
Aircrew IV - one star
Under training - no star