Michael R

Hi Paul, Thank you for your comments.

Hi Gigoo,  Thank you for showing us all your Feldjaegar caps.  All very smart and I see you have two officer's caps!!  Very nice.  keep em coming please.

By the way, may I ask your name rather than using your tag name please??

Cheers and best wishes to all

Michael

The following selection of insignia, although not strictly of a medical nature, are worn by personnel usually closely associated with the medical functions and they are Chaplains.

Board 13 Top Row  left is a pre 1953/WWII cap badge for a Special Duties Chaplain's Assistant and right is the same badge but post 1953 and current.  Center left is the cap badge of a Chaplain holding any commissioned rank pre 1953/WWII and right post 1953 but now obsolete. Center is a chaplaincy blazer badge pre 1953.

Col 1 A second variation pre 1953/WWII Chaplain's cap badge over a wooden shield removed from the base of a standing crucifix and bearing a cap badge crown surmounting a Chaplain's badge surmounting a Royal air Force cap/arm eagle.

Col 2/4 Chaplains gorget insignia, basically the same as the cap badge device. Stole badge for a Personal Chaplain to HM Queen Elizabeth II. Miniature of the above badge both with minor  variations in Col 4. Variation pair of Chaplain's gorget insignia. Chaplaincy Department lapel badge.  Variation shoulder crosses worn by Chaplains assistants.

Col 3 Post 1953 Crown surmounting the Chaplain's badge in bullion wire for wear on the officiating scarf.  Chaplains beret badge, possibly a fictitious item.

Col 5 RAF Sunday School lapel badge.

Board 14 Pairs of, Ampleport Defense Chaplaincy College mudguards, Air Commodore Chaplain's OG rank sliders and ditto on NW Europe DPM camouflage.

Board 15 Upper row, pair of shoulder patches for "Special Duties" Chaplain's Assistants. Flying suit patch for a Chaplain and a pair of epaulettes for a Chaplain's Assistant with gilt crosses. Rows 2/3, pairs of Home Dress shoulder sliders with embroidered insignia and applied rank lace for Squadron Leader, Wing Commander and Group Captain. Collar crosses for wear on desert and OG uniforms. Air Vice Marshal epaulettes for an Honourary  Chaplain to the Queen.  Superimposed over the lowest edge of the rank lace is the Royal Cypher comprising the monogram "E II R" surmounted by the Queen's Crown. RAF Chaplain's subdued shoulder sliders for a Group Captain.

Board 16 WWII officiating RAF Chaplain's stole with Chaplains insignia surmounted by the King's Crown, all executed in golden yellow and coloured silks.

Board 17 Ditto for a Chaplain to an RAF Association.  In this case the Chaplain represents two associations, The Burma Star Association (for troops fighting in Burma during WWII and awarded the Burma Star Medal) and the RAF Air Sea Rescue Club.

Back to the Bundeswehr.  Some Marine caps.  The first two are junior officers caps whilst the third item is a PO's cap and the final cap is also a PO's cap but with a coloured chin strap which probably does not belong with the cap??  Your opinions are invited.

A few more US Coast Guard Auxiliary officer's hats as worn by female personnel.

Item 10 A tan summer hat bearing a high quality silver wire embroidered cap device as per Item 8 above. This cap would have been worn by a female officer of the USCG (A) in the rank of Commander or Captain, the rank being denoted by the conjoined pair of single arcs of oak leaves also embroidered in silver bullion wire.  This is a later hat with a semi hard domed skull.

Item 11 The same cap for wear by Lieutenant Commanders and below but with a white winter cover.The rank insignia is replaced by a plain silver chin strap and buttons also in silver. The badge is the metal version as described in Item 7 above.  Of interest is the fact that the device field is actually for a regular  badge rather than the Auxiliary device.

Item 12 Is the same as Item 10 but with silver tress added to the upper edge of the cap band and the cap skull is if the earlier soft flat style.  The silver embroidery is of a heavier and more "chunky" type.

Item 13 This cap is identical to Item 10 but with a white winter cover and also the addition of the silver tress around the hat band.

A few more Border Guard caps to view.

Item 15 BG Enlisted cap with green materiel chin strap and alloy device. The cap materiel is of a woolly consistency.

Item 16 Officer's cap with the larger stamped silver metal device and aluminum braid chinstrap.

Item 17. Enlisted chip bag with small embroidered National Cockade.

Item 18. Ditto.

Item 19. Enlisted ranks cap identical to Item 15 but with a black vinyl chinstrap.

Hi Gigoo,  Thank you very much for adding some of your headdress to the thread and please continue to do so. Yours is one of the smartest and nicest headdress displays that I have seen!!  You obviously take great pride in your displays and collection and  must have a lot of space to play with?  Very impressive.

Thank you once again

With regards and best wishes  Michael

Hi Gordon, Some BG stuff.!!  Thank you for showing us your BG chopper Officer's cap.  I must confess to never having seen one!!  Very nice and I would imagine, quite rare??  I have a few BG caps and bits so I will start them with what I consider to be a nice BG General Officer's Uniform with aiguilette and visor cap.  The dagger is what they classed as an honour dagger and is complete with case, straps and belt suspender. I do not know if the BG wore dagger knots??  if they did and you have one, will you please show it for reference.

Cheers  Michael

Hi Paul, Nice, nice and nice again. I like to collect visors and I also like to look at photos of them so thank you very much.  I would like to add a uniform to all my caps but money and space will not allow.  We see your visors so now its time for your uniforms  --  Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers Michael

Hi Again, I had a look through my caps and have added a couple of similar items to your cap, one for  a junior officer up Lt Cdr like yours and one for Commanders and Captains.  both have contemporary blue covers which were usually classed as winter uniform whilst yours has a tan or khaki cover usually accepted as summer or warm weather areas (tropical etc).  The junior officer's cap has an all metal device whilst the senior officer's has a bullion embroidered device and two arcs of oak leaves embellishing the visor. In my experience, although Merchant Marine caps are quite rare, they are not as desirable as USN officers caps to most collectors.  However, this is open to debate??  Hope this is of interest to you.

Regards  Michael

Hi Muckaroon, First off, may I ask your name please, I hate answering to none d-plumes!!  You have a very nice and quite scarce cap and in not bad condition. A nice item.  "Only a supposition"..  Supposition it may be but logical it certainly is. I think that your investigations of the original owner are excellent and in my opinion you are probably correct. The cap certainly has a WWII look to it and if I owned it and I would like to, then to me it would be WWII.  Congratulations on both your cap and findings.  If you have anything else to add either on this subject or in addition, then please feel free.

With thanks, regards and best wishes  Michael

Hi Paul, Thank you for your latest contribution to "our" thread, perhaps we can build a bit of a community??. I particularly like the uniform especially given that it is medical as I have a bit of a leaning in that direction.  When I left the RAF, I almost applied to for a job as a porter!! in our local hospital but I did not fancy wheeling stiffs about!!

Anyway Paul, Keep the input going please!!

Cheers  Michael

Hi Gordon, Very many thanks for your comments, information and for posting photographs of some of your caps. Like Paul, I too prefer the cloth and wire embroidered insignia but I got into post war German a bit on the late side ergo most of the insignia on my caps is metal.  In the main, this is something of a side line collection but I do like both East and West German uniforms, insignia and caps etc. I was hoping that there would be other collectors who would enter their items as you have so once again thank you and please keep them coming!!

Cheers and regards  Michael

Hi, A couple of Air Force Visor caps and some chip bags (garrison caps) to view.

Item 12 Enlisted man's cap in a woolly type materiel. The badge, manufactured in stamped silver metal comprises a pair of out stretched wings with a central wreath encompassing the National Cockade. The badge is reminiscent of the TR DLV cap badge. The upper badge, also in metal comprises an open top wreath encompassing a four bladed propeller. The welts are finished in a light blue piping like the Air Defense caps.

Item 13 This is an Air Force General Officer's cap manufactured in superior materiel and features both blue welts and a matching blue cap band.  The badges are identical to Item 12 but in gold and the chin strap is in bright mat gold. The badge attachment and backing are identical to Item 11 but on a light blue field rather than red.

Item 14 A small selection of chip bag hats.

Cheers Paul, when I first encountered an Air Defense cap I thought it was a re-badged AF cap.  I particularly like the welt colours.

Cheers again Michael

hi Paul, Thank you for your message and comments. Nice to know that these threads are at least being looked at!!  Have you seen the thread "US Navy and Naval Caps and Hats" yet?  I have have started with the US Coast Guard and have added a few questions which you may be able to answer for me.  I will be moving onto the US Navy next.

Re mounts, I am assuming that you mean boards and I have 1551 at the moment covering US, GB RAF, GB Army, World Naval, East German, West German and Police  insignia.  I am about to start on my TR badges but need to buy some more card board LOL..  Did you get my last E Mail??

Regards and best wishes  Michael

Hi Hugh,  thank you for your message and comments and apologies for my delayed response. I have a tick agains "notify me of replies" but to date I have had no notifications so assumed that no one was interested which is why I did not reply to you and have slowed down on posting. So sorry once again.  I was told of by an American for calling summer cap cover Khaki as, according to him, they are tan so I take the hat in good humor.  With regard to the cap bands, we over on this side of the pond still wear mohair bands but I have noticed on a lot if not most of my US caps that you use fabric and or elastic.  In any event, in my opinion, US visors are the smartest of the lot!!!  Which is why I collect them.

Thank you once again and if you have any caps etc to this thread, please feel free to jump in!!!

Cheers  Micheal

Continuing the RAF Medical and PMRAFNS theme, the following boards are:

Board 9 Rows 1 and 2 are blood group patches designed to be attached, using Velcro to helmets, shirts and jackets etc when operating in combat areas.  These can be found in various shapes and colours and with additional information on them.  These are basic patches in light brown on a dark brown field.  In an emergency  injury situation, these patches are designed to speed up the identification of both blood groups and allergy situations etc.  The sliders are for wear by members of the "Tactical Medical Wing" of the RAF and are found in a variety of patterns, in this case North West Europe DPM and OG and are ranked to the wearer, in this case Junior Technician, rank now obsolete.  The upper sand coloured patch is from the Gulf War and was worn by RAF Medical personnel of 32 Field Hospital. Subdued "DARTS" (Deployable Aeromedical Evacuation Response Teams Squadron) PMRAFNS patch. Anodized aluminum RAF Dental Branch collar badge worn by all ranks.  This is a Sealed Pattern used by manufacturers in order to check and maintain production standards.  Two pairs of eagle collar badges worn on the nursing cape. A variety of Dental Branch collar badges from different periods.

Board 10 Left and right edges from top to bottom. Flight Surgeon Arm badge. Ditto in miniature for wear on the Mess Dress.  Flight Nurse all ranks arm badge.  Ditto in miniature for wear with the Mess Dress uniform. Commissioned Officer rank sliders with the Caduceus badge in (left) metal and (right) gold embroidery.  The ranks are Flight Lieutenant, Flt Lt (Capt). Squadron Leader, Sqn Ldr (Maj).    Wing Commander Wg Cdr (Ltc). Group Captain Gp Capt (Col).

Board 11 Rows 1 and 2 are blood group patches in black on OG.  TMW (Tactical Medical Wing) Officer's shoulder sliders all manufactured in North West Europe DPM.

Board 12 Top row.  White Tropical Uniform tri corn hat cap badge for wear by officers of the PMRAFNS now obsolete. Bronze, gilt and brass RAF Medical Services collar badges all ensigned by the King's Crown and now obsolete. Variation white cap badge. Left side column, PMRAFNS Mess Dress Rank insignia for the ranks of Flying Officer, Flg Off (1st Lt). Flight Officer Flt Off. Squadron Officer Sqn Off.  Right side column Ditto for the ranks of Wing Officer Wg Off. Group Officer Grp Off. Air Commandant Air Cmdt.  Center, Medical Officer's rank sliders for Air Commodore/Commandant, Air Cdre (BG). Air Vice Marshal AVM (MG). Air Marshal AM (LG).

Item 7 Air Defense Enlisted man's cap with light (Air Force) blue welts and black vinyl chin strap.  The cap device, although very similar to that worn by officers, is slightly smaller and finished in a mat aluminum.   The badge comprises a national cockade with painted details encompassed by an open topped oak wreath.  It is held in position by wire ties.

Item 8 A similar cap worn by officers.  The only visible distinctions are the use of a double strap aluminum chin strap and an officer's pattern cap device.  The device has the same features as the Enlisted device but is in a shinier finished metal, is slightly larger and utilizes enameled detailing.

Item 9 A second Officer's cap with only minor variations.

item 10 Identical in all detail to Items 8 and 9, this is a standard Army officer's cap with white welts rather than blue

Item 11 Once again, identical to the Army and Air Defense Officer's caps, this is a General Officer's cap and varies only in the welt and cap band colours which in this case is bright red, the chin strap and the cap device.  The device, finished in gold metal is affixed, using wire ties, to a shaped backing field in bright red and onto the band. The chin strap is also identical to the standard Officer's strap but finished in bright mat gold rather than silver

Hi Gordon, Thank you for your message and observations. However, I think that my head is better looking than your head!! LOL I imagine that you have a collection of EG "stuff" so, please feel free to add it to the thread?????

Cheers once again and best wishes  Michael.

PS I think that Mark Twain was right!!

The upcoming selection of US Coast Guard Auxiliary caps are for wear by Junior Officers. Unlike regular Coast Guard Officers of all grades, the basic badge, buttons and chinstrap colour is silver rather than gold.  Like their regular counterparts, there are discrepancies in colour shading for cap bands and badge fields ranging from a deep lighter blue to blue/black.

item 7 This is a current style cap with an Auxiliary pattern cap device featuring an open winged eagle with up swept wings.  The eagle is centered over a voided wreath of laurel and superimposed on its chest is a pair of crossed anchors all in silver. Superimposed over the central position of the anchors is a gold coloured disc with the Coast Guard shield at its center. Surrounding the shield, in gold on a blue enamel field is the wording "US COAST GUARD AUXILIARY"..  The all metal insignia is retained on a shaped field by means of a single bolt and nut fitting.  The badge field and cap band are of a medium deep blue colour.  The badge is positioned very low on the backing field due to the hole in the field used to accommodate the bolt being wrongly positioned, ergo too low? The cap has a white winter cover.

Item 8 Identical styled cap but with a high quality bullion wire embroidered cap device. The central disc is also wire embroidered but in gold.  This also has a white cove but with darker blue band and field.

Item 9 Another metal device but in this case worn on a tan summer cap and with a far lighter band and field. Note the positioning of the eagle device on its field relative to that on item 7.

Item 9 A far earlier cap again with a metal cap device.  This cap has a very dark, blue/black band and field.  Note the alternative shape of the badge field more usually associated with the Regular officer's badge field. Possibly worn by an ex regular officer subsequent to a transfer to the Auxiliary??

From the US Coast Guard we move onto the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. Other than the last item, all of these caps all have summer tan covers and I am not certain of the r5anks which they represent??

Item 1 Is a fairly early cap with a gold crossed anchors metal badge centered on which is a disc bearing the Coast Guard shield  insignia.The outer edge of the disc is coloured in deep blue enameling and bears the legend "Coast Guard Auxiliary" in gold. The badge reverse has a single bolt and nut fitting and is mounted on a semi circular dark blue field. The badge is titled "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Item 2 This is a similar cap to Item 1 but has the badge anchors manufactured in silver bullion wire whilst the central disc is as per Item 1.  The backing field in this case is dark blue but in the form of a square. The badge is titled "US COST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Item 3 Again an early cap and almost identical to Item 1.  However, the cap device is finished in silver coloured metal rather than gold but with a gold central disc and is titled "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Item 4 A current style cap with identical badge and field to Item 1. The badge is titled "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Item 5 An older cap with identical insignia to item 4 but on a square field as per item 2.  The badge is titled "US COST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Item 6 This cap has a white winter cover and a silver coloured badge as per Item 3.  The badge is titled "US COST GUARD AUXILIARY".

Any comments or opinions re the ranks, variety of colours and wording or the caps themselves would be very welcome.  Please note Item 2 has been uploaded out of sequence.

Hi, And finally for the USCG caps and hats.

Item 7 Is a Flag Rank Officer's visor with all metal cap device on a light blue field and cap band.  A winter cap with white cover, the visor has th same outer arcs of oak detail as the Captain's visor but also has the addition of a further seven oak leaves on the iner portion of each side of the visor.  A very attractive and quite scarce cap.

Item 8 A winter , white cover female combination hat with an all metal device again on a lighter blue field and cap band.  The hat is of a generic pattern with only the cap band pattern differentiating the various grades of officer wearer.  the chinstrap is only worn by junior officers.  Enlisted grades wear the same hat with whatever device is appropriate to to rank of its wearer.

A small but interesting selection of US CG and US CG A cap and hat devices.

Moving swiftly on, some visors worn in the ranks of Commander and Captain and Commodore?

Item 4 A senior officer's cap of the USCG with a tan cover and metal device as per previous caps.The cap band and badge field are of a lighter blue.

Item 5 A similar cap but with a very high quality gold and silver wire badge on a darker blue field and band.  This is a white cover winter cap. 

Item 6 A second "winter" cap but with an all metal cap device. The visors on these cap are, unlike junior officer's cap, covered in black cloth materiel. The materiel has seven oak leaves in an arc around the outer edge of each side of the visor.  The embellishment can be in either silk or high quality two tone gold bullion wire.

Hi Peter,  Thank you for your message and re Posh, I know full well that you were not having a dig, so apologies if I have given you the wrong impression!!  Shall we start again???.  Of all the regiments and corps' in the the British army, my two most respected are the RAMC and the RE. I feel that among collectors that there is a reluctance to credit them with the bravery that they deserve. To venture into no-mans-land with only a cloth armlet or tabbard in white with a red cross in order to try and perform miracles and rescues and no means of protection takes real heroism. Likewise with the RE, to build bridges etc under enemy fire and in advance of the fighting troops also takes cool courage. I was recently looking at a photo of a line of dead British troops and there was a young man with a large white tabbard an a big red cross.  Chaplains are another outfit who deserve recognition!!  Anyway, congratulations in portraying some of the bravest troops in any army, navy or air force!!

With thanks, regards and best wishes  Michael.

PS, thank you for your kind comments.

Hi,  Anyone interested in US Naval headdress and insignia??  I am starting a thread on US Naval Headdress commencing with the US Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.  I confess to a limited knowledge on the subject of the Coast Guard so I would be most grateful for feed back especially when I get the description or ranks wrong - and I will!!  Thank you in advance.

Regards and best wishes  Michael R

Item 1 USCG Junior Officer's Summer pattern tan visor cap.  The cap device is of a very attractive bullion embroidered pattern comprising the US National Eagle in gold with the CG shield in silver over it's breast clutching a silver fouled anchor in a horizontal configuration.  This is the current standard device worn on both the visor (in full size) and garrison (in miniature) cap.  Note the cap band and device field are in a medium blue colour.

Item 2 Officer's Winter cap with white cover and blue/black cap band and device field.  The logic behind the two shades of blue is not known, at least by me!!  In this case the cap badge is finished in silver and gold finished metal.  This is a two part constructed badge which is held together and secured by a nut and bolt reverse fitting.

Item 3 A second Winter cap but with a bullion embroidered eagle, shield and anchor and again with blue/black cap band and badge field.  This is a far earlier cap than the previous items.

Some more soft caps and hats.

Item 1 Is an Air Force Officer's fur hat in light grey with the large embroidered hat badge with a metal cockade in silver, very reminiscent of the old metal Luftwaffe cap badge.

Item 2 Naval Officer's fur hat in dark blue with Gold embroidered badge and gold metal cockade.

Item 3 Army field visor ca pin "rain" pattern camouflage with small embroidered roundel.

Item 4 Female Naval Officer's "Pill Box" style hat in dark blue with an all metal gold cap device.

Item 5 Female Naval Officer's "Garrison" style had in white with embroidered gold badge and cockade.  The fore part of the cap is trimmed in gold piping.

Item 6 All ranks combat hood in "Rain" pattern Camouflage.