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Old 15-04-17, 11:05 PM
Cheshire Steve Cheshire Steve is offline
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Default SAAF cap badge question

Found this SAAF badge in my father's effects, along with an RAAF badge, and his RAF badges from WW2. I assume it comes from when he was in the Desert Air Force c1942, but its really quite crude, especially on the back where any lugs have been cut off. Were they really made like this, or is it some sort of crude copy?
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Old 16-04-17, 07:02 AM
Alex Rice Alex Rice is offline
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Hi Steve
It looks like a campaign casting. There were 1000's of badges made in the desert for different units which were sand-cast so they are pretty crude. It seemed to be more prevalent for the SA forces as there must have been supply problems so examples are found for nearly all the different SA units from the period. I'm sure it is genuine but a pity the lugs are off.
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Alex
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Old 16-04-17, 07:38 AM
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Frank Kelley Frank Kelley is offline
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Very nice, yes, they were made like that in Egypt, no, it is not a copy, it is also quite a scarce find these days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheshire Steve View Post
Found this SAAF badge in my father's effects, along with an RAAF badge, and his RAF badges from WW2. I assume it comes from when he was in the Desert Air Force c1942, but its really quite crude, especially on the back where any lugs have been cut off. Were they really made like this, or is it some sort of crude copy?
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Old 16-04-17, 10:00 AM
Cheshire Steve Cheshire Steve is offline
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Thanks guys. That's very re-assuring, I hadn't heard of campaign castings before, but I was pretty sure of its vintage. Would they have been made in the workshops at one of the bases, or would production have been farmed out? Just thinking that they might not want badges freely available on the open market, and if they were made at base workshops, then that could explain why my father has one.

From my father's records it doesn't show him attached to a specific SAAF squadron, but he was with 58RSU who from his diary had base camp at Quassasin (now El Kasasin) from July to Nov 1942, and searching the web it seems 40 Squadron SAAF was there in August 1942.

Steve
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Old 16-04-17, 03:20 PM
Alex Rice Alex Rice is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheshire Steve View Post
Would they have been made in the workshops at one of the bases, or would production have been farmed out? Just thinking that they might not want badges freely available on the open market, and if they were made at base workshops, then that could explain why my father has one.
Hi Steve
Good question, I don't know who was in charge of the manufacture. I have heard of them referred to as 'bazaar badges' and always just assumed they were made by the local population to make extra money on the side, but some may have been officially made.
Cheers,
Alex
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Old 20-04-17, 06:48 AM
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Brian Conyngham Brian Conyngham is offline
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Sand cast in Egypt (some were also made in East Africa, however these are often of a better quality) .

Some were very close to the originals, others were not so great (as in your case) all fine though. I have seen one sown onto a cap so don't despair about missing lugs.

Brian
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