Strange wings
 

Here is a first for me, a set of wings with blue backing. They appear to be WW2style wings, no glow under black light.

You can see the comparison with standard wings in the one picture.

Would this be worn on an Air Force tunic?

Mike

Hey, Mike. It's entirely possible. However, in his research into Canadian archives for his books on 1 CanPara and Canadian jump wings, Ken Joyce notes that the CO of the Canadian jump school during WW II wrote to superiors in Ottawa complaining that manufacturers were producing jump wings that were not on the approved colour backings. I believe the only approved backings were either dark Rifle green or black.

So this may explain why we have seen Canadian Army jump wings appearing in these different colours.

Now, as for the RCAF, the rest of their crew wings were on a black back ground, so I can't see why some 'pigeon' would want to change the backing for their jump qual.

My thoughts on the matter. Happy to be proved otherwise.

Ian

I am surprised there is not more discussion on these wings, in all my years of collecting they are the first I have seen.

I have seen that colour of backing before and was led to believe that it was either discoloured in cleaning or faded or a bad dye lot. (I spoke with Ken about these.)

Possibly washed?

Re: Strange Wings
 

Good day gents,

Bill and Peter, you raise valid points. I am no expert on cloth or dyeing of material, so what I'm about to say is just my opinion.

Washing and drying might cause the backing material to fade. I suppose it would depend on how many times washed, detergent and bleach used, drying methods. However, it seems to me that if the backing material for Canadian jump wings is supposed to be either dark Rifle green or black, then if it is faded, black would fade to a greyish tone and dark green would fade to a medium green/olive green tone.

As for bad dye lots, of course anything could slip through in the manufacturing process. It seems to me though that some form of quality control would have caught that. However, I am also aware of all sorts of colour variations found in Canadian badges produced during the war.

To finish up, from the pictures presented, I feel that a set of Canadian jump wings was embroidered on a piece of RCAF blue material. I still believe that Ken's research as presented in his books provides an explanation for why Canadian jump wing show up on different coloured backings. I want to state I don't think it's the ONLY explanation, Just a possible one.

Bill, what is Ken's opinion of this matter?

Ian

Hi Ian, Here is a title to the Queen's York Rangers. The field colour has been faded by either chemical cleaning or laundering. Note the other parts of the title, the second layer of material and the embroidery, have not discoloured. This is similar to the effect seen on the parachute wing in question.
There certainly was and is a quality control check system in place when insignia are acquired. But the system does not check the effect of all potential agents on the cloth. And, not all runs were subject to the same review. Like any system, it is only as good as all the components.

Ian, I have asked Ken to review the thread and either comment or send me his comments and I will post.

Wings on Blue
 

Hi Guys

Thanks for posting Tanker Mike. Bill let me know about this thread and thought I should give my opinion on the colour. So...

Firstly, this is not a wartime badge but a post war badge. It is a Type 8 which began production in 1948/1949. I have seen these before however to be completely honest I totally forgot to include mention in my "wings" book.

There is absolutely no info on these in records at the LAC and DHH. If it does exist it is buried in some obscure file likely labelled something that has nothing to do with airborne subject matter. More than likely Seats, Toilet, Air Force MK III or something like that.

The badges of unauthorized colour made during WW II were mainly on black and lighter shades of green. Some "samples" were produced on a khaki serge material that would match the colour of the battle dress like the British badge. The authorized colour was Foliage Green or Green No. 4. I suspect this was a colour already available to contractors. However companies that did not have a government contract that took it upon themselves to produce badges for private purchase may not have been aware of any of the specifics regarding authorized colours. For the most part these private purchase badges differ significantly from the machine made government supply. So you should have no trouble distinguishing the difference. The only "issued" type that was made on green and black was the Type 2.

In this case, it is interesting that this colour change appears on a Type 8 badge. There are also examples of the Type 10. Since these badges first appeared in 1949 and slightly after for the Type 10, it coincides with the training of naval and air force personnel in airborne training at Rivers under the newly established Cdn Joint Air Training Center in March 1949 (CJATC).

This is when Canadian Naval Personnel who were parachute trained began to wear the badge at the bottom of the left cuff. I have only seen this done for naval personnel. The one photo I do have of an air force pilot who qualified at the CJATC he has pinned above his pilots wings on his service dress the standard version of the parachute badge. Since this was a presentation ceremony, I cant tell you if that is where he ultimately sewed it on. This is very early in the schools history so it is possible blue examples were made after.

One would figure that it would come up during the countless revisions to the general order for the badge. However there is no mention at all.

Like the original Canadian Airborne Regiment combat versions of the Canadian Parachute Badge CF, it is very possible that the small number of naval and air force personnel at Rivers prompted an attempt to get versions on blue for air force and black for navy authorized and after samples were made, it was turned down OR they just had them made privately and they were only authorized by the CJATC??? ( Type 8 and 10 do exist on either an extremely dark green or black colour )

Some people have stated that a sub-unit of the PPCLI had these made while they were sending members to the MSF. I also found no evidence for that. I have photos of all units of the MSF wearing the wings and none show them wearing this badge. That includes a large library of wing ceremony photos. The Type 8 badge on green was made specifically for the creation of the MSF.

Until more clear evidence is found ( and I will keep my eyes open), it is an interesting anomaly. However it is my strong opinion that these are somehow linked to air force personnel conducting jump training at Rivers after 1948/49.

Ken

Interesting points, and thanks for the reply Ken. The wings I don't think have faded, as they do not appear to have ever been sewn to a uniform, so I do not think they have been washed.
The black material on the rear has also not faded, the wings are an anomaly for sure. One of the reasons collecting is fun, finding that strange one off item.

Does anyone have any photos of air force types wearing para wings from WW2 or just after?