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    GRA

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    GRA last won the day on February 14 2012

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    About GRA

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    1. The 31st Air Assault Battalion having recently (officially) changed designation to 31st Ranger Battalion, individuals are now eligible for local validation for the Army Ranger tab. As the regiment hasn't had any Ranger battalions for 20-ish years, the Army Ranger tab wasn't awarded locally though training was equivalent to the Army Ranger Battalion in Arvidsjaur. The unit insignia is worn on the left arm, the tab on the right.
    2. 32nd Intelligence Battalion 32nd Int Bn + 323rd Parachute Ranger Sqn (the parachute element of the battalion) regimental Ranger tab (wear permit restricted to regiment only) trained Parachute Ranger + Jump Master Army Ranger tab, worn by some (wear permit unrestricted once awarded)
    3. Here's one Swedish-badged from the late 90's, when fashion dictated mini-sized berets. Next to it a Kangol for size comparison. /Jonas
    4. As stated above, fanjunkare rank slides of technician/engineer branch. They remind me of a version of rank slides in use in the '80s when I was in the Swedish Air Cadets. The rank was abolished for regulars in the early '80s (it has since returned), with fanjunkare being promoted to officer rank (1st Lt?), so they would have been used before 1982-ish. These slides were used on working dress, not on battle dress (m/59). /Jonas
    5. OK, just the standard picture, then. I know you could have the blade custom engraved with your name at the factory shop. Thanks for asking your friend. /Jonas
    6. As far as I've understood, it is not uncommon in Finland for different military courses/schools to have a knife (well, scabbard...) manufactured as a souvenir. I can't remember whether I saw any when I was in Rovaniemi some 20 years ago (the Marttiini knife factory is in Rovaniemi). Maybe our Finnish members can shed some light on the matter? /Jonas
    7. It looks like one of these; https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/240010 https://www.marttiini.fi/epages/MarttiiniShop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/MarttiiniShop/Products/250010 I have a 240 myself, minus the badges. Handy piece of kit. Michael, is the blade engraved? /Jonas
    8. Hello Jean-Samuel! It is most probably a Finnish medal. You might find some clues here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Finland As to Swedish connections, well, there was... A long time ago... 200+ years... /Jonas
    9. One of my souvenirs from national service... /Jonas
    10. According to "Battle Honours of the British and Commonwealth Armies" (Baker, 1986), 4/6 Rajputana Rifles was awarded the following battle honours: Alem Hamza (1941), Ruweisat Ridge (1942), El Alamein (1942), Matmata Hills (1943), Akarit (1943), Djebel Garci (1943) and North Africa 1940-43. MG/6 Rajputana Rifles was awarded Akarit (1943) and North Africa 1940-43. 17/6 was awarded North Africa 1940-43. I couldn't find any Indian units among the 1st Army battle honours, so I assume that all the above mentioned battalions of the 6th Rajputana Rifles would be entitled to the 8th Army clasp. /Jonas
    11. Hello Klaus! I have the very same patch somewhere in my collection too. I got it at the same time as the round one from a Swedish officer (he was Anti-Aircraft Artillery, if I recall correctly) in Southern Sweden. I know Sweden didn't contribute to that unit, but at the time some training was done in Sweden by UN/international units. That's why I think the round one has a Swedish connection, I might be wrong, though. This pennant... hmm... Polish unit pennant? I really don't know... /Jonas
    12. Could it be from one of the smaller principalities of Europe? I really don't know anything more than that if it would be Swedish, it would be of a very strange construction... The Order of Carl XIII is probably quite rare. Freemasonry-related, at least 36 years old (unless you happen to be one of the younger generation of Swedish princes!) and of Protestant faith. Total of 50(max) recipients alive? The fourth ribbon, the light blue with white stripes, what is it? Is it possible that the last ribbon has discoloured white stripes, or is it bleached yellow stripes? I hope you find out the origin of the bar. I'm sorry I can't help you more... /Jonas
    13. King Gustaf V died in 1950 and the commemorative medal of his funeral dates from 1951. Now, is that long enough ago to fit the age of the ribbon bar? Is it possible to date the ribbon bar by looking at the metal parts? In that case it might be possible to narrow down the number of monarchies (given that our monarchy theory is correct). As to Swedish ribbons in red, there's the Order of Carl XIII, a freemasonry-related order. If that is the ribbon concerned here, and the ribbon bar is not Swedish, the recipient has to be a Protestant. I can't find a Swedish ribbon that is light blue with white stripes with high enough precedence to make the green ribbon related to the Order of Vasa. I'm not an expert, but the precedence seems strange for a Swedish ribbon bar. To make the precedence work, it probably takes some clasps/rosettes on some of the ribbons (if it works at all). /Jonas
    14. Hello Chris! I don't think this is a Swedish ribbon bar. The green ribbon could well be the Order of Vasa, but the last ribbon can't be the Order of the Polar Star. The ribbon of the last was changed from black to blue with yellow borders in the 1970's and this ribbon bar seems a lot older. If it would be Swedish the ribbons you mention would be worn among the very first, not last. Also, I've never seen this style of ribbon bar worn in Sweden. The crown on the bar could indicate its origin in a monarchy? Maybe the crown indicating some sort of a court official? I would be somewhat surprised if a republic would approve of a crown in a design like that... /Jonas
    15. It seems like some sort of insignia of the Swedish W:6 society. I don't know whether it is an award or just a sign of having reached a certain rank/level within the society, W:6 seems like some sort of "Freemason-like" society only existing within Sweden. See link: http://www.w6.se/ /Jonas
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