France French Unit insignia?

[Garth Thompson]

Does anyone recognize this badge as a French unit insignia? It is roughly the size of a US DI about 1 1/4" in diameter smaller than a beret badge.

Thanks for any help.

Garth

[Garth Thompson]

Back view

[TacHel]

I know the French called many of their helo units SCORPION Squadrons, saw them with SFOR. I saw many patches bearing a scorpion but must admit at not seeing an insignia such as this one.

[André G.]

Hello Garth,

I think it is a french production of an african insignia's beret. Lyon is a french city but I have never see this kind of insignia on the beret of our (I am French) soldiers.

Also, the disc's edges on the french insgnia's beret are more wide.

French companies make commonly insignias, uniforms ... etc. for the former french african colonies.

Edited August 17, 2010 by André G.

[Garth Thompson]

Hello Garth,

I think it is a french production of an african insignia's beret. Lyon is a french city but I have never see this kind of insignia on the beret of our (I am French) soldiers.

Also, the disc's edges on the french insgnia's beret are more wide.

French companies make commonly insignias, uniforms ... etc. for the former french african colonies.

Andre,

Thank you for the message. Another ID I got from a different forum tentatively ID'd the badge as French Air Force Escadrille F554.

Garth

[André G.]

Hello,

it is interesting, an unofficial badge?

I will ask the question on french fora, maybe they will have a definitive response.

I have make some period as "soldat de réserve" and the fabrication of the insignia is very strange.

[André G.]

Hello,

I have searched and it is really the insignia of the french unit F-554,

it was a air force unit created in 1917 and based in Morrocco.

This is not a cap's insignia as I thinked in a first time ( I understand now why I found the fabrication was strange for an cap'sinsignia) but probably an chest's insignia.

You can find different fabrications of your badge,

http://www.leberetvert.com/product_info.php?products_id=1124&page=3

http://www.leberetvert.com/product_info.php?products_id=1124&page=3

I can't say if it is an original, sometimes, for the collectors, the makers make reproductions of military badge.