Rhodesia Women Voluntary Air Force
 

A shoulder title I have recently bought, supposedly of the Rhodesian Women Voluntary Air Force (alas unrecorded in my pretty old Cole's!). Vey faint traces left of the original red enamel in between the lettering.... Did the WVAF had a distinctive cap badge, too?

It is in Owen's "Military Badges and Insignia of Southern Africa" #3028 "Southern Rhodesia Women's Vol. Air Force".

Hope this helps

Graham

The WVAF shoulder title is quite rare and rather difficult to find nowadays. It is a good find! They wore the standard General Service Cap badge (Lion and Tusk on a rocker with the words Rhodesia) until the Rhodesian Air Force got their own badge made. It is very similar in design to the South African Air Force cap badge of WW2 with n eagle over a laurel wreath with King's crown above.

Would they have worn this cap badge, Madziro?

Hullo Loupie

They would have worn your SRhAF cap badge at the end of the war if they could get them. Many members continued to wear the Lion and Tusk badge as there were not that many of the SRhAF badges made.

Have attached scans of the badges for interest. If you need scans of the reverse of the badges I have them. The SRhAF badges were made with a thick wreath and a thin wreath so have included both variants. There is also a later version which is more refined and somewhat smaller which was issued post war.

Kind regards

Dudley

I guess this is it....

Loupie

A nice find. I picked up a cast Rhodesian Air Force WW2 badge the same as Dudleys last year at a flea market in Jhb. Thought it was rather nice.

Brian

Another South Rhodesia Air Force cap badge
 

Cast cap badge, with Lion and KC, listed in Owen's as "prior to 1956", but I would like to know if is this to be considered a WWII pattern or not....

In the book of the history of the RhAF I couldn't find any image of this being worn during that period. My belief is that it was only used after WWII for a short period.
Cheers,
Alex

The badge above with the Lion and tusk, and Crown, was worn from 1947 I believe.

As far as I know the badge was worn on the peaked cap with smaller versions worn on the collar. Curiously on the side cap a two-piece badge of eagle surmounted by a lion and tusk was worn.