Special Forces Cloth badges
 

Hi gents can I run these past you? From a friends collection (they could be for sale or Not?) Know what he has paid for some but generally he goes well past what he should? When he ought to have stopped!

These are for sale, then not for sale! Going on Ebay and such, if I can have a heads up on what is good/bad and a price on these I would be happy, it could be that those badges I identify to enhance my collection I can acquire, he may just Ebay them after I tell him what is good and what is bad? Whatever? Can have a try, many thanks in Advance Billy

1st "Who Dares Wins" SAS ( Rear looks bad ) BAD
2nd Wire Australian SAS ( looks fine but modern ) POSSIBLE COPY
3rd SBS ( modern ) POSSIBLE COPY
4th "Parachute Regiment" Shoulder Titles and a Qualification Wing, these look fine to me?
5th Royal Marine Commando shoulder title, looks fine to me?
6th Gold Wire Combined Services blaser patch?
7th 2nd SAS shoulder title? These are faked to death? What would be your thoughts? BAD
8th Shoulder recognition flash, Parachute Pathfinders, or Recce, well made but don't know Era or if Genuine or a copy? Appreciate you thoughts?
9th Arm badge, small cirlce within a deployed canopy under this a partial wreath, what Era? and looks good. GOOD CANADIAN 2ND CLASS RIGGER
10th My favourite this appears Genuine but smaller than what I have seen? Colours look good, rear has me on edge so must ask if this is in fact a good badge or a copy? Also a fair price to pay for this? BAD pity
11th SBS Gold Wire mess dress modern badge
12th SBS subdued patch modern
13th SBS very early shoulder patch, is this a good badge or a modern copy, do like it myself though if only as a gap filler!

13th badge - SBS - Although one appears on page 75 of Peter Taylor's book, 'Allied Special Forces Insignia 1939-1948', personally I do not like these at all. Having spoken to numerous veterans no one recalled it in WW2 or later - I think made for the collectors market. Recall WW2 2 SBS which was a very small unit, this badge is based on 2 SBS design, but to me completely spurious.
I would welcome further opinions from anyone - but based on sound evidence please, not speculation.
Regards
Mike

Billy, Don't forget the Royal Engineers, they are SPECIAL .... Well they did start the RAF :D
Jerry

The last SBS badge looks like an artificially aged fake from the Indian subcontinent, from the notorious "spaghetti" back.

Yes Jerry, the RAF came from the Royal Engineers! you keep telling me!

The 13th badge, SBS WW2 accepted! I too am of the opinion it is spurious but not my badge, well none of them are! But I can pass on the information I get, also any thoughts on the rest welcomed! Cheers billy

Parachute and wreath, is Canadian.

Marc

Thanks Mark, I guess the Lightbulb, Round badge with Canopy rigging lines and basket is the British version!

The first SAS badge shown is a fake. The bullion SAS and SBS badge are modern but may be copies. The 2nd SAS title is a fake and so is the "Pink" SAS wing.

Jack.

Canadian badge
 

Billy, further on the Canadian badge. It is actually the Canadian Army's "Rigger" trade badge, worn on the lower sleeve of the uniform jacket, from '56 to '70. There were three levels to this badge. Going from Level 1, the basic trade, up to Level 3. Yours is Level 2.

Before Unification in 1969, the Canadian Army did not have a different para qual wing that differentiated between the basic para qual and someone serving on jump status. It was not until the mid '70's that the new Canadian Armed Forces para qual had the white or silver leaf replace the original red leaf to signify that a serviceman was or had been on jump status.

And it looks good to me also.

Ian

Thanks Ian, appreciate your informative thread, I myself have learnt from it! Thanks

Jack thanks for your thoughts on these, he isn't going to like it I'm afraid, but by reading this thread he will have a better understanding! Spaghetti stitching to rear? or has the size of these play a part?

Many thanks folks billy

The 11th one is not an SBS wing - it's SAS pattern as is the subdued one next to it.

3rd Love the calm waters on the SBS badge. Dont all swimmer canoeists want calm waters ? :D

Sorry Royal, quite right SAS Mess Dress Wing and a Subdued one.

Could I ask your thoughts on the Parachute Shoulder Titles, the Pathfinder Flash, and the royal Marines title and Gold Wure combined Services patch, many thanks Billy

Billy,
The 5 Airborne Brigade Pathfinder DZ flash looks like a felt on felt tailor made example that would not withstand much laundering or even heavy rain! The more common version was woven with merrowed edges and matched the Brigade HQ flash but with the addition of a white or black arrowhead.

Tim