RAF Servicing Commandos
 

Greeting Gent’s,

Okay no need to state the obvious, I know this is not a piece of uniform insignia but it’s such an outstanding piece of cloth I hope you lot wouldn’t mind my sharing it. After all if you guy’s can’t appreciate this then who can?

I acquired it for a display I’m working on with my RAF Servicing Commando knives. The photo of this piece of cloth with the knives will give you some perspective on it’s huge size. It came to me very roughly cut out in a rectangle, no doubt it had once been part of a banner, flag or standard, if you have any other ideas please feel free to wade in.

The quality of this piece is just wonderful and it just didn’t look right ‘roughly’ cut out, so as the damage had already been done and being a dab hand with a needle and thread I decided to trim it to a more appropriate shape and add a little gold braiding to finish the edging off. Even if I do say it myself, I don’t think it looks half bad and I think will make a great centre piece to the display.

Kind regards to all, Roy.

Hi Roy,

Nice piece of work on these badges - thanks for showing them!

Now ... I wonder WHY it was produced - there's a mystery for ye!

+ Anthony

Hello Anthony,

Thank you for taking the time to reply, after over 60 views and no replies I thought I had wasted my time posting..!

I think I read somewhere that the RAF Servicing Commando’s Association was started back in the 80’s so it might be from that period. As mentioned it had been roughly ‘cut’ from something, perhaps a banner etc, I just re-cut to a nice shape and added the braiding.

Either way it is a wonderful piece of cloth and for $20 I think I got a lot for my money.

Best wishes Anthony, Roy.

Hi Roy,

I think it's an excellent buy for $20- !

There are a lot of 'associations' around and I'm currently trying to find pictures of their badges - if - they are different from their squadrons/wings etc. I'm sure there must be quite a few of them around - I've just got to track 'em down!

One of my friends created my own RAF badge for my Empire to Commonwealth Project .... here's a one off for ye!

+ Anthony

Hi Anthony,

Thanks for that, I thought I couldn’t go wrong with that price. Sadly no history on the piece, it just turned up in an estate sale this side of the pond.

Well done on the design of your badge. What has inspired you to design it? And are you planning to have it made up?

All the best, Roy.

RAF Servicing Commandos
 

Hi, Truly great badges! but where do you find the knives? I've been collecting and researching all things "Commando" for over 2 decades but have so far never seen an RAF servicing commando knife anywhere for sale!

Regards Tony

Hi Tony,

The RAF SCU knives are a rare beast indeed. I have been collecting the WW2 Faribairn Sykes for around 20 years now and in all my knife searching, these are the only two I have found, and both within a couple of months of each other! I have a couple of knife collector friends who have a SCU knife each as well.

I really like this knife and will certainly be more proactive in looking for more examples. I’m English but now live in the US, so plenty of gun/knife shows to keep me busy. Both of my knives I found in the US. I like to combine my knives with correct insignia for display and photographs so I’m now putting together a small group of RAF badges & patches that the SCU would have worn.

Hope I don’t get chastised for posting pictures of the knife on a ‘badge’ forum but just to share here are couple of shots. The one shot has one of my Wilkie 1st patterns to give some perspective.

All the best, Roy.

Hi Roy,

With my username - comes a website! .... I run the Empire to Commonwealth Project <-- and if you click on it you'll see the project. I'm shortly going to re-design the front page which will be split into (amongst others), Navy, Army & Air Force - and I now have 'purpose made' badges to represent these branches of the armed forces.

+ Anthony

SERVICING COMMANDOS RAF
 

Hello,
Interresting post, I have a similar RAF Servicing Commandos blazer badge but not exactly the same. Mine looks to be an older manufacture. I am also interrested by this service, I have enclosed a picture of RAF Servicing Commandos taken few days after the DDay at Sainte-Croix (Gold Beach) when the ALS (Air Landing Strip) B3 was under construction. Look at the third men from the left, he is wearing probably a RAF bowie knife. J-F

Hi JF,

Thanks you for your contribution. Your blazer badge does indeed look very similar in design to the huge one I have. The photo you also shared is excellent, it’s nice that you can see the Commando knife and also so much insignia. I have attached an image of a hand-sewn Combined Ops patch that I have. I know it’s a real long shot but 3202 SCU are known to have made their own Combined Ops patches in North Africa back in December of 1942, so I have it as an example of one that ‘could’ be associated with this unit.

As you say this is an interesting topic and one I’m happy to learn a little more on.

All the best, Roy.

Raf servicing commando history
 

Hi Roy though this is a very old thread I am the current holder of the servicing commando archives and have access to a lot of their war time items and written accounts if you want further information

Saw this thread and reminded me I have a photo of me with Stan Harthill, RAF Servicing Commandos at Bournemouth Air show 4 years ago. He appears to have the same pattern blazer badge as shown in Roys post No1.

Had never heard of them before I spoke to Stan!

Regards, Bill

The bullion has been done by hand as the one Roy has has been done by machine.