British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum
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British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum (https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/index.php)
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-   -   Battle Dress, Beret & Ribbons ID Please (https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81012)

Roy 29-09-20 02:30 AM
Battle Dress, Beret & Ribbons ID Please
 
5 Attachment(s)
Hi Gents,

A friend of mine just picked up thee piece, can I get some views on exactly what he has and authenticity? He is also looking for correct rank and ribbon ID.

I recognize a lot but would appreciate a second opinion.

Cheers,

Roy

Belly 29-09-20 05:56 AM
Hi Roy

Very sceptical about the whole ensemble. I don't believe the BD has any Polish connections and the insignia looks recently applied.
In WW2 the Polish retained and wore their own rank badges, so straight away I'd say the rank is wrong.

I'm not a medal expert but they look like:
OBE??, MC, 1914 Star, British War Medal, 1914-18
Allied Victory Medal, 39-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, ??

Again Poles were eligible for both UK and Polish medals. It would be unusual to see no Polish medals.

The metal wing on the beret is as understand it a post war wing for tropical use.

Hope this gives you sufficient information
cheers
Paul

Mike B 29-09-20 07:18 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belly (Post 524115)
Hi Roy

Very sceptical about the whole ensemble. I don't believe the BD has any Polish connections and the insignia looks recently applied.
In WW2 the Polish retained and wore their own rank badges, so straight away I'd say the rank is wrong.

I'm not a medal expert but they look like:
OBE??, MC, 1914 Star, British War Medal, 1914-18
Allied Victory Medal, 39-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, ??

Again Poles were illegible for both UK and Polish medals. It would be unusual to see no Polish medals.

The metal wing on the beret is as understand it a post war wing for tropical use.

Hope this gives you sufficient information
cheers
Paul
Nicely summed up Paul - informative, constructive, sharing scepticism in a positive way. It does in deed all look very dubious. If there is no further context Roy, I would avoid too.

popskipa 29-09-20 08:04 AM
I agree with the previous comments, however khaki beret with silver bullion badge looks quite nice...

Keith

Sonofacqms 29-09-20 09:09 AM
Beret
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by popskipa (Post 524125)
I agree with the previous comments, however khaki beret with silver bullion badge looks quite nice...

Keith
Possibly the only item which has not been embellished to a state of comic opera proportions.

Rob

Royal 29-09-20 10:02 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belly (Post 524115)
The metal wing on the beret is as understand it a post war wing for tropical use.
It is indeed - and so rather rarer (in my experience) than most other types of wing. I was certainly never able to aquire one in the best part of 20-years of para-qualified service...

leigh kitchen 29-09-20 10:11 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Royal (Post 524136)
It is indeed - and so rather rarer (in my experience) than most other types of wing. I was certainly never able to aquire one in the best part of 20-years of para-qualified service...
The small, brass para wing?
They and the similar SAS brass wings were fairly common in surplus and junk shops back in the 1980's, 90's, although of course, that may have been down to there being a rash of repros.

Staffsyeoman 29-09-20 10:46 AM
Just my two-penneth; the Colonel/Brigadier tabs are the wrong size for BD collars; the wings look to be 1970s manufacture. The ribbons look like real ones but spuriously applied. as they should be stitched on directly. I suspect the last ribbon was a War Medal 1939-45 pulled off the bar to get at an MID device.

Belly 29-09-20 12:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by leigh kitchen (Post 524137)
The small, brass para wing?
They and the similar SAS brass wings were fairly common in surplus and junk shops back in the 1980's, 90's, although of course, that may have been down to there being a rash of repros.
British SAS post war tropical dress. ref Bragg & Turner plate 1.

leigh kitchen 29-09-20 12:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Staffsyeoman (Post 524140)
Just my two-penneth; the Colonel/Brigadier tabs are the wrong size for BD collars; the wings look to be 1970s manufacture. The ribbons look like real ones but spuriously applied. as they should be stitched on directly. I suspect the last ribbon was a War Medal 1939-45 pulled off the bar to get at an MID device.
Whilst not suggesting that these medal ribbons are original to the BD, I do have original, brooch mounted ribbons including strips of mixed British and Polish ribbons to WWII Polish servicemen.

Gurkha 29-09-20 01:43 PM
What flags a warning to me are the WWI medal ribbons which if a polish officer he wouldn't have had. I don't think they British officers.
My uncle was part of 1st Polish armoured from before D day to 1945 and they had a 'Poland' title on the battledress as well as using polish rank insignia. He got British and free polish decorations

kind regards
Steve M

Roy 29-09-20 02:56 PM
Many, many thanks gents,

I have a a lot of good information to pass on to my friend.

Cheers,

Roy

Royal 29-09-20 03:43 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by leigh kitchen (Post 524137)
The small, brass para wing?
They and the similar SAS brass wings were fairly common in surplus and junk shops back in the 1980's, 90's, although of course, that may have been down to there being a rash of repros.
Yeah - I've since aquired examples of both versions, but was meaning through official channels - sorry, should have been clearer. To be fair, I was never issued anything more tropical than half lovats except for tropical and desert DPMs so pusser was probably right in telling me to do one!

leigh kitchen 29-09-20 04:03 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Belly (Post 524142)
British SAS post war tropical dress. ref Bragg & Turner plate 1.
The Para and the SAS ones are in "British Proficiency Badges" by D Edwards and D Langley.
I was always a bit sus of the ones that were around a few decades ago, soft, bendy jobs.
I picked up one of each back then and more recently got a SAS one which is of noticeably different manufacture.

arnhem2280 29-09-20 10:24 PM
The Polish beret with the badge on it looks very nice. The other items not so.

Cheers

Arnhem


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