Commonwealth jump wings & Para regt cap badges

[ChrisB]

Guards Independent Para Comapny brassard I believe, disbanded 1975, about the time that those chevrons came into use. One of theuir sergeants was the tallest man in the British army at about that time.

Hello Leigh,

Thanks for the info. I?d known it was a Guards brassard but had never heard of the Guards Independent Parachute Company. After having a quick look around the web I see there is a Guards parachute platoon attached to 3 Para. From what I can find they wear the maroon beret with the para badge with the Guards blue red blue patch as a backing. No mention of if they wear the guards flash on the arm.

Here is my only Canadian set of wings (Korean war period).

Cheers

Chris

[Laurence Strong]

I have a couple of reservations with that one. The wings appear to be the current issue one's which came in with the unification of the forces (see post #3), and they would have been worn on the left breast, The tunic is missing the regimental flash on the top of the sleeve, either PPCLI, RCR, or the R22R. Those were the only infantry units with the 25th Bde in Korea. What is on the other sleeve?

I might be wrong here but I don?t think so.

[ChrisB]

Hello Laurence,

Here is the full shot of the shirt and the left sleeve. Brought this in 1989 from a shop here in NZ. Was the 25th Brigade patch used post Korean conflict?

Cheers

Chris

[peter monahan]

Chris

That badge is post-unification of the Canadian forces, which happened in the late-60's or early '70's. My mind is lamentably slow today so I can't recall details but it was for the equivalent of an "active response force" - worn by reg. force infantry and others tasked to suport NATO. So, unless it was borrowed from any earlier idebtical badge, it shouldn't even be worn on that uniform, only on the unified force greens. Sorry!

I'll check around for more details but suggest you consult the guys at www.canadiansoldiers.com. they're experts in this field, I'm not.

Peter

[peter monahan]

Yes, as I thought I recalled, this arrow-maple leaf badge was the "Force Mobile Command" badge, worn on both sleeves in cloth or, later, in metal on the right breast and worn from the 1960's to the 1980'2.

The 25 Brigade badge for Korea is described this way at the site I mentioned: The 25th Brigade wore a red shield, with yellow maple leaf surrounded by a white laurel wreath (similar to that found in the United Nations flag). Issued in embroidery on a melton background, private purchase versions were commonly found as well, purchased in Japan and made of higher quality materials such as metal wire instead of thread. These uniforms were usually worn on battledress by troops coming home to Canada from Asia

So, unfortunately, this looks like a made up piece: reg't insignia missing and non-period formation patch added to the tunic, which may be Korean era (I know nothing about tunics).

Peter

Edited February 10, 2007 by peter monahan

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Chris

Now that I see the full view, is that shirt made of a fairly thick material? The shirt looks like the heavy shirt that used to be issued for winter.

[JamesM]

Hi Chris

Now that I see the full view, is that shirt made of a fairly thick material? The shirt looks like the heavy shirt that used to be issued for winter.

It may have been an earlier issue shirt, as the winter shirts we had in the late 70's to 80's had the button cuff as opposed to the elasticised cuffs. I hated those shirts!!

And yes, the badge on the left shoulder is the Mobile Command Badge.

Cheers,

James

[ChrisB]

Thanks for the help Laurence, JamesM and Peter. If it needed to be at least this highlights the dangers of whim buy's. Probably just as well I now stick to collecting stuff I know about, well a little bit more about. Oh well, the only bonus is that it wasn't an expensive buy.

Cheers again for the conclusive identification.

Chris

Edited February 10, 2007 by ChrisB

[Bob Lyons]

And a few more Australian para related patches, the dark green background is for Commando qualified paras.

Bob

[Bob Lyons]

A closer view of the RACT Air despatcher...

The colours of the others, on tan is for general wear with summer uniform (Polyesters and service dress), maroon is for the Roayl Australian Regiment paras, the blue and white is for SAS, and standard rigger patch. (which for some darn reason I can't download a close up of it).

Bob

Edited February 22, 2007 by Bob Lyons

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Bob

Welcome to GMIC

Very nice set, thanks for showing. What are the 1/2 wings for?

[Bob Lyons]

Hi Laurence,

I think they are also for a rigger, but not 100% on that, maybe Tiger Pie can help.

(I have been out of the army too long!!!)

Bob

[Tiger-pie]

Hi Laurence,

I think they are also for a rigger, but not 100% on that, maybe Tiger Pie can help.

(I have been out of the army too long!!!)

Bob

Parachute Jump Instructor.

Regards;

Johnsy

[Bob Lyons]

Thanks Johnsy.

Bob

[Ardent]

Interesting, I spent my last two years (77-79) in the mob with the RM and they all wore army type wooly pullies with the army type wings. Only ever knew one MAWC guy who was with the section at Poole. The only Cdo unit I can think of that would have them would be 148 Bty RA whose radio ops were all matelots but you never saw them in blue anyway. Interesting! Incidentally the RN never wore them on the blue wooly pully or any other trade or SQ badge, only rank badges. Interestingly I noticed Camilla's beau at I think last years Remeberance service wearing his Para wings army fashion on his frock coat on the right upper arm. Perhaps this is because he already wears aviators wings on his left cuff but may be because he do what he likes. Only time I've ever seen the wing worn this way by a matelot apart from the aforementiontioned radio ops who dressed like squaddies anyway.

As to the cap badge, time to dig out the die flaw pics again Not to mention the slider is dodgy on a K/C badge and probably on a white metal Q/C though I do think I've seen the staybright with a slider.

Only RN Pilots and Observers wear their flying wings on the left cuff - all parachute wings are on the upper right arm with AdQuals on the lower right cuff

[Laurence Strong]

What is AdQuals?

[Ardent]

What is AdQuals?

Additional Qualifications

things like Bomb Aimer, Seacat Guider, Navigator's Yeoman - used to be Commando Qualified (like myself) but that's been "unified" so it's now on the upper left arm

[Jim Maclean]

Only RN Pilots and Observers wear their flying wings on the left cuff - all parachute wings are on the upper right arm with AdQuals on the lower right cuff

Any idea when the dress regs changed? Certainly during the 70's they were worn on the left cuff.

[JimZ]

Australian SASR

I never new Australia had an SAS regiment.......

Jim

[Ardent]

Any idea when the dress regs changed? Certainly during the 70's they were worn on the left cuff.

To my knowledge from the late 70's onwards it was only Pilot/Observer on the left arm - para wings on right shoulder - branch right arm - rate left arm - everything else right cuff

[Tiger-pie]

I never new Australia had an SAS regiment.......

Jim

They were officially formed on the 25th July 1957, but based on previous special forces units that fought in WW2, in particular the "Z' Force units.They came into their own during the Vietnam conflict, but got "blooded" during the Indonesian Confrontation in Borneo.

They have been involved in most of our major operations since then, including East Timor, where I got to look after their weapons for them while they were using HMAS Success as a mobile platform to deploy from. It was a pleasure working with them, very professional, no bullshit about them. As with their British counterparts, they have a military and counter-terrorism role to play. They are every bit as professional as the Brits, and often work together in exchanged personnel programs, though with the operational tempo we have now that has been put on the backburner.

Regards;

Johnsy

[ChrisB]

A few more Kiwi wings.

Top: Parachute qualification. Left: Air Dispatch. Right: Assistant Parachute Jump Instructor.

These badges are all for wearing on the shirt.

Cheers

Chris

[ChrisB]

Backs of the badges.

[Jim Maclean]

To my knowledge from the late 70's onwards it was only Pilot/Observer on the left arm - para wings on right shoulder - branch right arm - rate left arm - everything else right cuff

Been talking to my younger brother about this, he left the RN only 10 years ago, he cannot remember ever seeing the para badge worn on the upper right arm in the blue unform. He was at times involved with the Submarine Parachute Assistance Group. He tells me they wore the badge on the upper right arm only in No8s/AWD and combats. Blue uniform, left cuff.

Of course BR81 should tell the story but it's not on line that I can find. Maybe as a serving member you could consult your local Master/Mistress at Arms and find the truth through ammendments. Also of interest to people I'm sure would be which arm a badge was worn on. I'm pretty sure also that there was a limit on the amount of badges that could be worn. i.e. if you were para qualified, ship's diver, marksman, helo controller, seacat aimer, navi's yeoman, commando trained et al you couldn't wear the lot. Far too transatlantic

What's that branch badge on the right arm? Was I seen off ?

Edited March 10, 2007 by Jim Maclean

[Bob Lyons]

This might be of some help...

ARA parachutist

SAS Regiment Parachutist

Commando parachutist

3RAR parachutistParachute Jump Instructor