Original Unofficial South Staffordshire Regiment Title?
 

Hi,

I have had the top title for years and always wondered if it had a chance of being wartime. It was cheap, but it was sold as authentic. It has many of the qualities of an original, but it does not fall into one of two types of accepted wartime variations of the unofficial South Staffs title.

I have provided an original for comparison.

Thoughts?

Thank you.

Here are the pictures.

I am not an 'airborne' expert so do not know if there are variant manufactures. Recently I had cause to correspond with several airborne specialists to verify originality of a S. STAFFORDS title I had been offered. Fortunately I already had one, the same as your bottom one, with black back. This was accepted as original.

This leaves the question of whether all originals are black backed?

In any case - I would not be a fan of the rather cluttered stitching illustrated at the reverse of the other title (top one) you illustrate - although arguably, the front looks a little better than the back.

Mike

Mike is correct the top title is no good

My variant has a light coloured back

The versions I have sold Bill and Mike have both been black backings I believe

I have also sold an original with no backing

Plenty of original variations exist but the top title pictured is not one of them

Best wishes chaps
Jack

Jack
Many thanks for the clarification - good to hear from you!
Yes - the original you sold to me was black backed.
Mike

Original Unofficial South Staffordshire Regiment Title?
 

This is the rear of one of mine and the rear of a Royal Engineers Parachute Title.

Some members of the 2nd Battalion S Staffs made the titles slightly smaller by turning over the tops and sides and sewing them down as is the case with this particular example.

Cheers

Arnhem

Great to see another original black backed one - also to learn of the 'cutting down' of backs by veterans ... a practice also apparent in several Commando titles.
Mike