27 Squadron RCT - A Swatch of Tie Fabric.
 

Not a formation sign, but a piece of fabric relating to 27 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport.

The design is about 1/2" - 3/4" long and depicts a "Saracen" with GPMG mounted.
I picked up the scrap from the ground whilst searching the derelict Atkinson's Tie Manufacturers building on The Donegal Road, West Belfast in 1976.
Presumably a Swatch of material for a tie commissioned by the unit, perhaps on one of their tours in Northern Ireland in 1971 / 72:

27 Squadron .

1965.07.15 Germany: Catterick Bks, Bielefeld. From 27 Company RASC
10 Transport Regiment RCT

1971 Germany: Portsmouth Bks, Munster
8 Transport Regiment RCT

30 Jul - 13 Oct 72: Northern Ireland: Ballykelly; Troop only

15 Mar 73 - 21 Jul 73: Northern Ireland: Ballykinler

5 Apr 93: Became 27 HQ Squadron, 2 Close Support Regiment RLC

Now that is indeed a very cool find!!!! Have to love something like that for sure!

Terry

I also picked up an ARP armband, a relic of WWII.
In an attic were some old ARP helmets which were left in situ.
I have read that during the war some of the locals (it being the republican Falls Road area) lit bonfires in an attempt to assist Luftwaffe bombers locate Liverpool the Falls ended up being bombed instead, I don't know if that's true.

Leigh, Just a quick question. You said " The design is about 1/2" - 3/4" long and depicts a "Saracen" with GPMG mounted."
When I did NI training back in 1973 we had Ferret Scout cars with turret mounted Browning .30 cal although we never had the Ferrets when deployed to Castle Dillon in Armagh.
I thought that the Saracen had turret mounted Browning .30cal fitted??
Jerry

Yes, I thought twice before saying Jimpy rather than Browning, I remember Ferrets and Sarry-Cans with Browning's mounted in the turrets at that time, most of the Saracens that I remember I think lacked the gun so it was a case of the turret man having a SLR or GPMG.
The design on the fabric has a gun on top of rather than in the turret, so I went for GPMG - which may be wrong.

We need a 27 Sqn RCT man.