Greek Sacred Sqn wings

[half12]

Hi,

Well ... IMO be careful with enamelled badges "made in Cairo" ...

In Cairo in 1981/82, I went to the shop of T. Bichay, famous free french ww2 badge maker ... (as far as I remember, his daughter was running the business, and Mr Bichay was retired in Canada ...)

Asking for badges, the salesman brought me a handful of various ww2 badges (one extraordinary rare...) saying it was a "drawer bottom". I bought them all for 1 Egyptian pound each.(around 1 euros)

Back in France I compared with known originals and found some minor differences ... It is now perfectly known that they had produced again since the 60/70's for collectors and unscrupulous dealers.


Best regards .. Herve

[Mike B]

Hi Herve
Thanks for the update, your warning is sensible. Still ... it sounds like you got hold of some interesting representative items at a reasonable price. As you say ... no doubt some unscrupulous persons would sell them on at a greatly increased price.
Regards
Mike

[tynesideirish]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Donovan - great image - thanks for sharing. Interesting to see one worn on arm, the other on breast.
Mike

During that time ME Raiding Forces, "Wings on Breast" was an operational award. Wings on arm was the norm.

[Mike B]

Many thanks for the confirmation.
As mentioned I have not found any specific official source information confirming the basis upon which ME Raiding Force wings were worn on arm or breast - although the Operational award of 'wear of the breast' is often repeated in books etc
- It is good to know we are 'singing from the same hymn sheet' though
Mike

[HamandJam]

Fascinating thread indeed on enamel SAS wings

It looks like this SBS chap is wearing those.

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/gall...43&gal=gallery

Cheerio,
JB

Originally Posted by castagain

A fascinating thread, I've learned quite a lot from it, and the metal SAS wing is a work of art. Here's another photo to add to the discussion.

Regards,
Donovan

[Mike B]

Hi Ham and Jam (JB)
I would agree that the GSS link would suggest the portrait sitter is SBS but the image description appears to suggest he was SAS then SBS. I appreciate there were a few veterans that went from SAS to SBS - but is there any indicator which suggests the image was of the man's time in SBS rather SAS, other than 'a general rule' that this was the nature of things, please.
Mike

[arnhem2280]

Mike

After David Stirling was captured in January 1943 the SAS split into two parts. The Special Raiding Squadron under Paddy Mayne and the Special Boat Service under Lord Jellicoe. Those that had been previously members of 1 SAS became members of one of the either SRS or SBS so a large number of those who became members of SBS had previously been SAS. After this split which was in March/ April 1943 members of the Army and some Royal Marines went directly to the SBS.

I have no idea what the criteria for ending up either SRS or SBS though. I would have presumed it might have been some previous knowledge of boats but evidence doesn't seem to prove this theory.

Cheers

Arnhem

[Mike B]

Hi Arnhem
Your research ties up exactly with what I have found too. It is a complicated business by the time we add 1 SBS into the mix (1 Special Boat Section former No.8 Cdo Folboat personnel). As you say - several loose ends, and not all the allocations to either SAS or SBS were obvious/logical. Good to see we share the same understanding.
You highlight one of the reasons I would question the assumption the image J-B shared was 'automatically' SBS (Special Boat Squadron) as it is not clear when the image was taken. However, the link to GSS would appear to be stronger with SBS, than SAS - addmittedly based only on chats with one SBS veteran (sadly deceased). I stand to be corrected on this assumption though, and appreciated Brig Turnbull's Raiding Forces Middle East was something of a 'melting pot'.
All the best
Mike