[Guzzman]

Re the RAF buttons with rope borders and the possibility of their being RNAS. The eagle button with a rope border was indeed the button of the Royal Naval Air Service. However, when the Royal Air Force was created in April 1918 there were huge numbers of these buttons in stock so they became the buttons of the new RAF in order to use them up. They continued to use buttons with a rope rim until 1921 when smooth edged buttons were adopted.

Slightly off-topic but relating to the new RAF uniforms introduced at that time is the story of the shade of blue that RAF uniforms are made of. I don't know how true this is but I will relate it anyway. This was apparently the same shade of blue worn by the Preobrajensky Guard in Russia. A large order of material in this colour had been prepared in the UK but had not been sent to Russia before the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in 1917 - after which time it was no longer required. The decision was therefore taken to use the surplus material for the uniforms of the new RAF. Incidentally the uniforms were the same shade of blue as the paste applied by soldiers in the trenches to treat infestations of crabs - which is why the RAF are still known by the other Services as Crabs!

Pete