France French French Parachutist badge

[PKeating]

I am told that these could relate to the Free French parachute battalion raised in the Middle East and engaged in North Africa during WW2. I have certainly seen similar badges or "pins" relating to other units and presume that this would be an unofficial insignia, rather like some of the German unit and tradition badges. Can anyone help?

PK

[Veteran]

Hello Prosper

It's hard to be honest & encourageing about those two items.... Let's hope somenone has the right answer, but they don't look very convincing to me.

Best regards

Veteran

[Paul L Murphy]

I have gone through my various reference books and cannot find anything (so they are not in the standard French books for these badges).

[PKeating]

Thank you, gentlemen. The descending paratrooper reminds me of small, unofficial badges I have seen. I have one somewhere, depicting a French military motorcycle and sidecar crew in their outfit. This is much the same style. If they are period items, I would venture a guess that they would have been akin to our 'sweetheart' badges. Here is the reverse. There again, they could be fantasy pieces. There is no provenance that I am aware of. All I know about them is that they were proposed in trade to me by a fairly serious collector of airborne memorabilia and the brass paratrooper badge reminded me of other pins I have seen in the past.

PK

[Chris Boonzaier]

For the badge on the right... is the cross not still used by some units?

up until today units have badges made locally. I think it is very possible to have local badges not officially listed anywhere.

Best

Chris

[Peveke]

To my best knowledge the descending parachutist was made for a movie (don't know which one). I'm also holding on to it in my "unknown-box", but that's the last info I got on it.