Simon F

A close up of the unit badge, please excuse my bad scanning.

Hi guys. I see there is a small following of FFL here and wondered if anybody is into collecting the French para, I have been lucky enough to get some nice items from a fellow french forum member and my knowledge base is small but growing. I do have a nice FFL Indochine/Algeria photo and doc group that I will post when I have time to do the scanning. Here is a small Para grouping to a member of 8e RPIMa from the 1960s that I took in trade. I haven't had much of a chance to research this group yet but I have made some scans and taken some pictures so your observations are greatly received. First up is the certificate of good conduct (as I understand it)?!

Here is a link to the Eskimo http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/trib...tm#HMS%20Eskimo Try google it always works a treat for this kind of research. A guy I work with, I am fairly sure his first draft was the Eskimo. I will see if he has anything interesting I can pass along.

Here is the link to one I used to have, similar, 1944, no badge recorded http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5509

Hi I dont know why I hadn't seen this reply before but thanks for sharing this information Regards Simon

Thanks for the replys so far. This is the first one I have picked up, I wonder if anybody on the forum has any of these badges that they could post pictures of here?

Reverse

Hi guys I received this Pararescue badge in the post today. It was sold as a Vietnam era piece. I wondered though if anybody was able to help with pointers on how to date these particular badges as I have no references for them?! Many thanks Simon

PK you may find some info here? http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...4GB225%26sa%3DG Here is the pic of the monument.

Out of interest a couple of translated links mentioning Vannes/Meucon as having a monument to 3600 paras and the second one mentioning a training centre for the elite. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...NA_enGB224GB225 http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...NA_enGB224GB225

Hi Bernhard Many thanks for the information, I miss-read the articles I had come across on the net and thought it was around 51 that this unit dissolved. I actually dont know how to date these jump badges, having no references to them. Still I love this jacket though and would suspect that its owner may have seen Indochina.

Hi Chris The only info I have regards origin is: The jacket comes from Brittany, near lorient. Nothing about the owner, only information about regiment, the guy should be in 5? BCCP (This is to do with the numbering of the badge). Regards Simon

Closer look at the fine three part beret

Number

Para Badge

"Lapin ? Gilles"

Hi Guys Here is a very nice uniform jacket that is a recent addition to my collection following on from my new found love of Indochina/Vietnam collecting. The jacket is a small sized "Blouson mod?le 1946" made in 1949 and is for a "caporal-chef" (enlisted man) of a "BCCP" (Bataillon Colonial de Commando Parachutiste) all the insignia is era sewn. On the right shoulder you can see the "Lapin ? Gilles" the slang name for the dragon of the Marines Airborne Infantry. A very nice part of the jacket is the airborne insignia, with a low number made by Drago/b?ranger , rue olivier metra (this number is for a certificate given in 51 My understanding is that this could be for a member of 5? BCCP because in this period (1951) a member of this regiment did their 6 qualification jumps in Vannes/Meucon and had numbers around 53000. A lot of this information comes from the respectable source where I bought the jacket but I would welcome any other information/observations. The very nice maroon 3 part beret is for display but did not belong with this uniform. Thanks

And to close, the liner interior. Here you can see the "A" strap modification which has been added. Thanks Simon.

The other side.

Hi guys I am posting a query for a friend and hope that someone here may be able to help? Here is one his finds from the 2007 SOS. In his words: It is an ARVN helmet with the hard to find factory cover. However, the liner holds some tantalising mysteries and is very interesting... The liner has a camo scheme applied and a 4 letter stencil on each side of it. Initially i thought the stencil corresponded to a police unit "Canh Sat Da Chien", but of course the letters are not in the correct sequence for that. The mystery is further compounded by the addition of an airborne style chinstrap arrangement of the type i tend to see in French Indochina pieces which does indeed give it a Paratrooper flavour... Your help and suggestions most welcome Gents!

Well you learn something new everyday, being an 80's child I am sure I didn't know that Oh and much prefer the term "skin" at 37 I am not yet over the hill, father

Right then Sorry if I have covered other replies to this thread and I am aware that this will be a real splurge of information but please feel free to ask questions to clarify! Gold badges are for the Number ones uniform (Nos 1's), which is for Parade, etc. Red badges were for the older Number two's (Nos 2's) which was a work uniform normally used by dabbers (seamen) at harbour stations for special entries in and out of harbour, when you didn't want to get your Nos 1's oiley. Obsolete since about 1987/88. White badges are for the Number eights (No 8's) which is the blue general use uniform for day to day work, they were generally printed. If they were embroidered blue on white they were for tropical uniform or Number sixes (No 6's) or the ice cream suit. All branch badges for general uniform are now embroidered. #4 Is specifically a Seacat aimers badge for the Number 1 uniform, these small specialist badges are worn on the lower sleeve of the Number ones or twos uniform. Seacat/Seaslug, etc have all been replaced by Seawolf as the point weapons system on all frigates and destroyers. #14 Is Leading Radio Operator (General) or LRO(G) in the old system. Radio Operators came as "T's" or "G's". T's are tactical communications, flag waving, etc. G's were the guys that operated the kit and sent the morse, etc. It is all under one house now, the lads and lasses are cross trained. #15 Is a newer Leading Marine Engineering Mechanic or LMEM or Stokers for the number 1 uniform. I say newer as they used to have a letter "L" or "M" to denote specialised in Electrical or Mechanical. These again have been lumped under one hat. #16 is the branch badge for the Chief Bosun's Mate or Buffer, he is usually a Petty Officer in rank (as this is) on warships, apart from bigger units, i.e carriers where he will be a Chief Petty Officer. These guys look after everything Seamanship from ropes and wires to conducting all major seamanship evolutions such as Replenishment at Sea (RAS). #18 is for a Leading Seaman (Electronic Warfare) LS(EW) under the old Operations Department system, prior to the implementation of the Warfare branch in 1994. You were titled as either a Junior Seaman/Seaman Able Seaman or Leading Seaman because seamanship was your first trade and your sub specialisation was either Radar/Sonar/Electronic Warfare/Missileman. #19 is for a Petty Officer (Electronic Warfare) PO(EW) old OPS system. #24 is correctly a Submarine Coxswains badge. These guys are in charge of routines/discipline, etc on boats. Submarines are referred to as boats, ships are ships #37 is an old Chief Comunications Yeomans (CY) badge. Chiefs wear smaller badges on their collars of their Number ones/twos whereas Petty Officers wear the larger badges on their sleeves. Also CPO's dont wear good conduct stripes only 3 buttons around the cuff. Also Chiefs wear the white branch badges on the left chest of the general work kit. #38 Is a Radio Signalmans badge (RS) who is a Petty Officer. #40 is an Officers cap badge. #41 is a Chief Petty Officers cap badge. #42 is a current Petty Officers badge worn on Number ones. Leading Hands wear one anchor and Petty Officers two. The Anchor is a Killick anchor, Leading hands are sometime reffered to as Killicks or Hooky. #43 Is a crown worn by members of the regulating branch (Naval Police) and is worn by Petty Officers or Regulating Petty Officers (RPO) as they are known, or Leading Regulators. It is worn on the sleeve of the jumper (woolly Pully) or on the Number ones uniform where the branch badge would go. #46 Is an old Weapons Engineering Mechanics badge. #47 Is the Navigators Yeomans patch which would have been worn on the sleeve of the Number twos uniform. He would have been either a Able Seaman (Radar) AB(R ) or A Leading Seaman (Radar) LS(R ) under the old system and he would have had the cushy number of helping out the Navigator with his charts. No duties (blue card) and no watches to keep at sea (all night in every night the lucky bugger). The job has now been taken over by the EW's in the newer system. #49 Is an old Seaman (Radar) S(R ) badge that was phased out in the early eighties. #50 Is an old Able Seaman (Radar) AB(R ) badge. #51 Is for a Petty Officers Number two's uniform. #52 Is a current Leading Hands anchor for the Number ones uniform. #54 I s a very old Leading Seaman (Sonar) LS(S) badge the C stood for controller, better known as TAS Apes. TAS was the old acronym for Torpedo Anti Submarine and Ape because it was reckoned that even a monkey could do the job. I should know being a Chief TAS

When the lads used to man the mast, the button boy had to shin up to the very top and used to stand to attention on the button and salute.

With members of what I believe to be 11 Kompanie 3rd Battalion of the Luftlande Sturm Regiment. The FJ standing to the left of the aircrew who has his head turned is identified on the back as Oberleutnant Jung. Any other info would be greatly received.

Here is a great shot of young Willi