RAF 'AD' Flying Badge
 

Has anyone come across one of these before please?

The badge doesn't look like it was manufactured recently.

Suggestions have been:

Air Despatch (But that is an Army thing)
Air Defence (A ground trade and this is a flying badge)
Air Delivery Section JADTEU (Not RAF personnel)

Other possibilities are:

1) A fantasy item (never seen another one though unless someone else has one)
2) A manufacturing error.
3) An unadopted prototype.
4) Not British or Commonwealth.

Any suggestions welcome!

Regards,

Graham

Could it be from one of the Commonwealth AF's rather than RAF?

Air Dispatch looks like for Mess Dress, the RCT (Royal Corps of Transport) Uniform was black? Ken ought to come along shortly and will know instantly! But looks genuine!

I'm pretty sure the Air Dispatch badge has 2 wings, and this one does look like its on RAF blue/grey backing.
Regards, Craig

Authorised one does; but there were a number of wings made up with random letters in the wreaths for UK and CW forces by tailors.

The Army Air Despatcher brevet has two wings. I don't think there's ever been an RAF version. The Loadies all wear/wore LM for Loadmaster or QM for Air Quartermaster. That may even have been discontinued now with the standard RAF half wing for anyone who isn't a pilot.

It does look like a mess dress, though. Perhaps it is for a Commonwealth country.

Where is Ken when you need him?

David

Fantasy brevet if you ask me,
Definiately not Air Dispatch and not from one of the Commonwealth Air Forces

Wow !! How'd i miss this ???

Hello guys, I was told, some time back (no proof as of yet) that the RAF/ Army used this brevet at the start of Ops during the 2nd WW. It was the first type, whether thats true or not i will leave to the experts, but i have never seen one, up until today.

FBK

AD
 

Ken,
This looks like a modern No5 dress RAF wing to me. The only time the RAF have solely been employed in the AD role was:
1918 - Ammo dropped on Western front LofC.
1919 - Somaliland and India during "Mad Mullah" campaign.

Otherwise AD was/is RASC/RCT and RLC. Notwithstanding the RAF suspended Mess Dress during WW2. The RAF style above blue half wing badge No5 Mess Dress is badge is an RAF and not an army badge.

The Army AD crews consisted in the main a Cpl Despatch Crew Commander and 3 crew in Dakotas from Burma 1942 onwards and including the Stirlings a crew of 2 AD at Arnhem in 1944.... and 2 AD pers in Liberators during the Rhine crossing drops 1945. The only exception for AD RASC not being on board would be clandestine small stores from a Lysander etc on some SOE duties. Therefore, the existence of RAF doing Air Despatch Would have been 1950 onwards with "Loadmasters" wearing the 'QM' brevet; 'LM' in 1970 and 'RAF' 2004. However, they are in charge of the load and AD army pers and it is the Army only who do the actual Air Despatching.

In short the Army do Air Despatch and wear their double AD wings since a wing was designed in KL and a brevet was introduced (War Office Dress Commitee 1956). The RAF relied on AD RASC companies to supply the crew. There were no RAF dispatching any stores apart from clandestine Ops and that would not create a special badge, as it was more often than not the SOE op throwing her/his SEAC pack out before she/he followed.

I also believe even if the RASC would be ludicrously allowed to wear what looks like a chest wing AD RAF style for their early Ops there would be a pic of one from the 900 pers in the group.

Hope that helps, and love to be proven wrong.
Regards,
Matt

RASC
 

RASC AD despatching stores in Para Smocks. Para smocks no longer worn with introduction of MTP unless the AD has passed Para course.

Matt, have you got a date for that image please?.

Thanks to everyone for replies so far.

Looks like this one is still a bit of a mystery!

Regards,

Graham

Pic
 

Hoot,
It's from the AD Manual 1950. Circa 1944-50. Interestingly, during Arnhem up to 16 panniers utilising roller conveyor were pushed out of a single Dakota by 4 RASC Air Despatchers under the Aircraft Captain's orders.



Regards

Matt

Thanks Matt, I was just curious about those berets.

airborne beret
 

Hoot,
The only RASC AD personnel to wear the airborne beret during this period were 253 and 63 RASC Airborne Divisional Companies.
Regards,
Matt