RAF Good Conduct Badge/Chevron
 

Good day Folks

A question.

An old RAF veteran in the village is trying to put together an RAF uniform. He tells me that he was entitled to a Good Conduct Chevron worn low down on the sleeve. He tells me that these were issued but that after the war their use was discontinued. He also says that his memory isn't that good now so he may be mistaking it for something else.

Can anyone confirm the existence of these and if his memory is correct where can I get one for him?

Many thanks

James

They definitely existed. It was a single chevron worn point uppermost on the lower left sleeve. They were the same size and style as normal NCOs chevrons. Wartime pattern would have been worn on a very dark navy/black background as opposed to the post wore NCOs chevrons which were worn on an RAF blue/grey background.
Not to be confused with War Service chevrons which were miniature red chevrons worn point uppermost on the right arm.
The Good Conduct badge was introduced in 1920 and was confined to Airmen below the rank of Substantive Corporal.
So, effectively, it looks like an RAF version of a Lance Corporal chevron worn point uppermost on the left arm, the point being 7 1/2" inches above the cuff. probably easier to obtain a Corporal's chevrons and cut it down ?
PL

Thanks PL
Very helpful. So basically it was an inverted L/Cpl chevron but slightly smaller if I understand you correctly on a dark blue ground for a wartime version.

Many thanks

James

No, same size as a Lance Corporal chevron, cut a Corporals chevrons in half (between the chevrons) and you'll have two GC badges
PL

Like this?

The stripe is an inverted L/cpl's stripe

In wear on an old wedding photo I found

Thanks

James

Yes, my father had one. There are at least two uniforms in the collection at East Kirby with the badges. TE Lawrence [of Arabia] was a recipient.

The following from an article that I wrote:

With its antecedents of the Royal Engineers and the Royal Flying Corps, both of them army formations, it seems inevitable that long-serving soldiers who made the full transition to the Royal Air Force in 1918 would have brought with them some Good Conduct badges. The formal RAF introduction was by Air Ministry Order 720 of 12th August 1920, with up to three available. The badges were to be worn in the same manner as the army, but it was not until two years later that they were confined to ranks below substantive corporal. No less a character than TE Lawrence, under the pseudonym of Aircraftsman TE Shaw qualified for his first badge 12th March 1925, and his second on 12th March 1931. Unless his previous army service counted, we might deduce that these were awarded for two and eight years. To complete this digression, King’s Regulations and Air Council Instructions 1940 gave the periods as three, eight and thirteen years, and the awards were still being made through the Second World War.

I would welcome any more photos in wear please.

Of course the RAF did not have LCpls then, so no LCpl's chevron, so no chance of wearing it the right way up or indeed upside down.

Technician Ranks
 

In addition to the Good Conduct chevron worn on the lower sleeve, the version with blue/grey backing was indeed worn with the point upwards on each upper sleeve by Junior Technicians between 1950-63.

Whilst searching for something else I came across this and thought it was worth updating this thread with the attached image

According to Grumpy's previous comments, this jacket is incorrect as the stripes were only for those below substantive Corporal. However he didn't state if they had to be removed when promoted! Anybody know the answer? There is one anomaly in the picture. The good conduct stripe is mounted on blue/grey material which is inconsistent with the black/dk blue Sgt's Stripes as that background didn't start to be issued until 1947/8 ish.
Dave

What about R.A.F. Rgt did they follow Army rank structure? in W.W.2

No. The first time for the introduction of the Lance Jack stripe was 2010.
Dave

RAF GOOD CONDUCT CHEVRONS
 

1934 Regulations on Airmen's Uniforms and Badges states "Good Conduct Badges (Worn by airmen below the rank of substantive Corporal only)"