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
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