RAF plastic badge.
 

Dear forum,
Original period item ?
Thank you for your thoughts,
Dominique

Perfectly good second pattern badge with replaceable blades.
Dave

Thanks.
 

Great!
Thank you so much for your input.
Regards ,
Dominique

Hi

This is actually the first type of badge, with NON-replaceable blades, produced by 'A Stanley' of Walsall, who produced 410,000 examples between 18th April 1942 and 7th April 1944. The other type, which did have replaceable blades, were generally produced by 'Jarret, Rainsford and Laughton Ltd', who turned out 160,000 in the same period.

One note is that these badges are almost always referred to as the 'economy type' cap badge. Although they were by virtue of the fact they were made of plastic, a true 'economy' badge would have been in gold plastic as a true plastic like-for-like economy replacement.

Gold plastic badges were indeed produced (I have one) but there is no record they were ever issued and it seems they might have been trial items only. The black items were specifically designed for the Tropical Service Dress, although supplies were rather late in being sent to theatre that for most of the war brass continued to be worn. Both Airmen's pattern cap badge, and the officers two-piece eagle and crown were made (the latter, 21,000, all made by JRL) to be worn on the side cap and beret.