Egyptian Silver Paratroop Wing

[bmsm]

This is an Silver Egyptian Paratroop Wing I picked up at the military show in October. It was with a bunch of items that came out of Baghdad, Iraq.

Does anyone know what the red cloth backing behind the wing represents?

Could Iraqi's wear Egyptian Wings? Did the Iraqi's once train with Egyptian Paratroopers? They are

3-5/8 in. wide and 1-5/16 in. high.

The reverse is marked Tawfeeq Al Shami who was an Egyptian Orders and Medals designer.

Bob

[bmsm]

Reverse of wing and maker's mark.

Bob

[ChrisW]

Hi Bob, nice wings, thanks for posting!

Egyptian paratroops wear red berets, so perhaps the red cloth backing has something to do with that? I've never seen anything like this on Egyptian uniforms.

It's possible that Egyptian and Iraqi paras did some combined small-unit or individual training when they were on friendlier terms in the 1960s or 1980s. Of course, the owner of these (assuming it was an Iraqi officer) may have bought these as a souvenir on a trip to Cairo, was given them as a gift by an Egyptian friend, etc.

The mark on the back, incidentally, is Tawfiq Bichay, it's difficult to read I know.

Chris

[achern]

BIchay would be about right, I think. I have a Saudi para wing with a similar hallmark on the back which I know to have come from Bichay.

-alf

[bmsm]

Chris and alf,

Thanks for the correction on the translation on the reverse.

Bob