South African Special Forces (Recces)

[archie777]

I would like to share some of my SA SF items with you. Would like to know if there are more collectors on the site?

 

This is a small part of my collection

All my SA Special Forces items, are 100% original

 

I don't collect fakes or restrikes

 

Here is some of my Recce berets in my collection

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Here is more pictures

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Small part of my collection

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Some of my SA Special Forces ties in my collection

Some of my SA Special Forces flags

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My last two. Still a few more to get

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A few more SA Special Forces items

To warn the overseas collectors. These are all restrikes, copies or fakes. Never worn like this

Zippo Lighters

Current SANDF profficiency badges, worn by the Special Forces

Ivory Operators Badge, handed over to Operators during the 21st Anniversary of Special Forces in SA

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The approved Special Forces Attack Diver badges. The pins brake off easy and the badge was changed to the solide badge as per my first picture

Original Sargeant Major of the Special Forces rank. Only worn by 1 SM andchanged back to the normal RSM badge. Very hard to find

Some of the current profficiency badges for 7 Med Batt. Some of the were Special Forces Operators or Doctirs

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A few SF bear mugs

Here we have a FDC, Artcard fir the Attack Diver badge and a signed program

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A few pictures of my collection in my Mancave

Still busy weekly and have a lot more to get displayed

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[Marcon1]

Have you ever thought about starting a museum, you have more than enough material for that !! 😄

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Hi Marcon1,

 

I started my own private museum, but will soon, run out of space. 

 

We have too many museums in SA, but not long, then its closed. I received bumerous visitors annually and even have a visitors book. 

 

Should you ever visit SA, you are welcome to pay me a visit

 

Regards

Archie

[Megan]

Your man-cave looks fantastic!

 

I collect information and images rather than things, but it all occupues quite a lot of storage. This dates back to a childhood fascination with medals and 1) having picked up one medal which neither the vendor nor the local museum could identify, the quest to find out what it was led to 2) the discovery that a book with information/images of lots of medals cost less than a single actual medal! Anyway I'd bought most all that I could find that I could afford on pocket money anyway.

 

In later years this new-fangled World Wide Web thing came along. Already in the computing trade by then, I found HTML (the basic code that websites are written with) is a very space-efficient way of storing images and information at a time when hard drives cost an arm and a leg! So Medals of the World was born...

[archie777]

Hi Megan,

 

Thanks for the compliment, it means a lot to me. I started collecting, while in Angola, during the Bush War, but not as serious at first. 

 

I also collect a lot of information and history. Most collectors in SA contact me to ID their stuff and for prices when the wanted to sell.

 

I will cover some very rare SA medals soon. Just want to finish the Homelands awards

 

Regards

Archie

Megan, I use the drawers of those two cabinets to display my different militaria. Will get 1 more, then I might have enough space with the 5 empty drawers and 4 new display boards

 

Attached is some of my displays in the drawers. 

The size is 140 cm x  80 cm

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All drawers are completely full and will get the other cabinet hopefully soon

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Bought this from a friend in the US and another collector in Canada is looking for it. Unfortunately close to US$4k

 

I actually know the Operator

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What make this uniform so expensive, is the two badges on the left. Top is the 10 Years Operator Badge. Numbered and awarded to a specific Operator for 10 Years serive as an Operator. Its 9ct gold with 1 real diamond in.

 

I have the 1st and current 10 Years Operator badges, as well as the 20 and 30 years badges. Evwn more expensive.

 

The badge below is the Attack Diver 2 badge. The first 1 is bronze and nr 2 is advance. All Operator and AD badges are numbered and issued to specific Specisl Forces Operators

 

Will share pictures of some certificates now

The 2 Operator certificates

The 2 Attack Diver certificates

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The colours of the SA Special Forces was black and white from 1972 until 1996

 

The colours changed to maroon and white from 1996 to 2022

 

From 2022 they changed back to black and white

 

All Operator and Attack Diver badges are number as well as the belt buckles

 

With the new insignia, all shoulder flashes, bars and affiliation badges, are all numbered and issued to a specific Operator accirding to that numbers and records are kept in the offices of the Unit Commander and General in Command of Special Forces

Here we have the SA Special Forces Brigade HQ flash and affiliation badge on a leather strap, worn on the right chest, below the profficiency badges

Here we have the SA Special Forces Brigade School flash and affiliation badge on a leather strap, worn on the right chest, below the profficiency badges

Here we have the SA Special Forces Brigade Supply Depot flash and affiliation badge on a leather strap, worn on the right chest, below the profficiency badges

Here we have the 4 Special Forces Brigade flash and affiliation badge on a leather strap, worn on the right chest, below the profficiency badges

Here we have the 5 Special Forces Brigade flash and affiliation badge on a leather strap, worn on the right chest, below the profficiency badges

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The current belt

The first tipe belt, on top, with the current issue, below

The current beret badge

HQ set

5 SFR set

Insignia on the uniform of an Operator

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Numbers on the back of each item

The last set is a sample set, nr 9/10 

A comolete set on display

To cut the manufacturing of fakes out, all utems were made overseas and nit is SA like before

The current blazer badges

 

1 Special Forces Regiment doesn't exist anymore and were closed down around 1996, with 2 Special Forces Regiment. The  designer were part of the old 1 Recce and decided to requestthe factory to made him a few of 1 Recce

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Should anyone needs information, feel free to contact me

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RSM FS dagger, when he was transfered

His uniform

His Mess Dress

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Clock specially made of wood from the Special Forces Base at Fort Doppies for the RSM and the Commander