Canadian Airborne Regiment
 

Hi

There are pics of their gear all over the place so I thought I'd start a "Master title" thread on the subj.

Please find a few examples for your enjoyment and or reference. :)

regards
Darrell

Hi

A few more pics of CAR badges I've had over the years.

regards
Darrell

Thanks for your posts Darrell. I didn't realise that there are so many variations of the CAR cap badge. Looking forward to future contributions! Cheers,

Walt

Is the screw posts an officers or for the parade belt

Mike

Hi

Not a problem, Walt. Just don't expect me to make frequent posts. My idea was as much for others to post than just me.:D

Mike, I believe the Forum's determination was that it was for a belt. In my day, CAR Officer wore a bullion but there is evidence here on the Forum showing them wearing a metal badge in the early days. Not sure if that was reversed colours from the ones shown above or not.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=51676

regards
Darrell

The screw post badge is a buckle badge. The CAR officers' badges are bullion embroidered on maroon material.

BGen Christie's Para Smock
 

Thought I'd add this. CAR under the command of the newly created SSF.
BGen Christie was the first Force Commander to the newly formed SSF in April 1977. This smock is a first issue smock, dated 1975. One of the original smocks initiated by the Canadian Airborne Regiment in 1974 as a private purchase that DND accepted responsibility for in 1975. Note the Nylon Zipper.
His Jump Wing is also a first pattern with no border. A rare smock on a number of levels.
Also attached a pic of BGen Christie while commanding the SSF which included the CAR at that time. This was taken in 1978 after a jump w E Battery 2 RCHA.

Is the fellow far left wearing an Air Force metal cap badge?

Mike

I notice BGen Christie is wearing a US jump wing above his name tag.

Terry

No. He is wearing the Air Operations Branch cap badge.

Air Ops Badge and SSF Smock
 

Member wearing the Air Ops badge was likely the G3 Avn for the SSF. He would have been a Heli pilot, responsible for planning Joint Ops w 427 Sqn and the SSF. One of a very very small number who were Air Force but wore the Smock in Petawawa.

How did you manage to obtain Christie's smock? And can you post a higher-resolution copy of the post-jump photograph? There are some great details in it which I'd like to confirm.

Thanks,
Dan.

There were lots of people in Petawawa who were "Air Element" and wore the SSF smock. Any of the CSS trades would have been a mix of land, sea and air and prior to the introduction of environmental uniforms, would have worn the SSF smock.
Within the SSF (particularly in 2 Service Battalion), the trades that were eventually absorbed into the Materials Technician trade - Metals Technician, Refinisher Technician and Machinist - wore the Air Operations Branch cap badge.

Thank You for the Additional Info
 

Hi Phillip, my thanks for the additional input.

I should have clarified, in my reply that few Pilot qualified Air Officers served w the SSF and wore the smock. The picture shows one of two pilots that served in the SSF, both in G3 Avn positions,
(I was posted with 2 Svc Bn (91-94) and then HQ SSF until the creation of 2 CMBG, leaving Bde staff in 97).
I'd forgotten about the OR's in the Four Companies with a few Air and Sea trades as well.

First Cap Badge, CAR, 1968-1969
 

Thought I would send this along...my jump serial was #7712; went on TALEX in spring '78., with first-issue lugs on back.

The early badges were interesting...

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Image isn't showing SRDJUG.

I believe that the officer wearing the Air Operations cap badge is Capt Dave Brown. He was not a helicopter pilot when I last worked with him in 1975, but things do change. His original roots were an L-19 pilot in the late 1960's and then later on the CF-5 in Mobile Command. It is a great picture.
Don

Capt Brown
 

I checked the picture and yes, I'm pretty sure the name tag is BROWN.
Most of the guys I worked with were 427 Sqn pilots in the SSF HQ, but I recall we also had G3 Anv Fast Air guys, so you'd be correct. Dates match up, and it was before my time.

According to Canadian Army Aviation website, which can be found here, David Brown was originally an infantry officer and finished his service as a Lt. Col.

"LCol (Ret’d) Brown served Canada for over 30 years first as an Infantry officer in the Canadian Guards and RCR, then in the RCAF first flying fighter jets and then tactical helicopters and fulfilling numerous roles domestically and internationally on behalf of NATO, the UN and others.

His final flying tour was as the Commanding Officer of 427 Tac Hel Sqn in Petawawa, ON. After the military, he was a flight instructor for Bombardier's NATO Flying Training school in Moose Jaw and an evaluation pilot for CAE of Montreal, developing flight simulators and training for militaries worldwide."

On the left is Dave Brown as a Canadian Guards officer. On the right as an RCAF pilot. Note the US airborne wings on his RCAF uniform.

Great Info!
 

Thanks Dan, great research.
So, he was likely G3 Avn, Rotary, but could have been fixed wing.
Thinking about it, he would have been qualified in both roles, maybe double hatted. Interesting to see he was also para qualified (from the above pics).

Still a great pic of a rather uncommon patching of an SSF/CAR smock.

Hi

Another, more recent construction, CAR cap badge that I acquired.

With the "NEMO 91" mark, I'd suspect this was a QM issue badge, late in the CAR game that ended with their disbandment.

regards
Darrell

NEMO Badges
 

That is a nice example of a NEMO Canadian Airborne Regiment cap badge and may well have been the last contract for that badge before the regiment was disbanded. NEMO was one of the companies manufacturing insignia for the Canadian military and I have attached an image of a NEMO 1985 dated Training Development Branch cap badge.

Attachment 254043

Hi

A nice blazer badge.:)

regards
Darrell

That is a nice one. Is it yours?

Hi Paul

Yes, it is. For now....:D

It'll be in my trays @ the Moncton Show.

regards
Darrell

Bits and Pieces
 

Good day all,

I thought I'd add some items from my Canadian Airborne Regiment collection.

The first picture is two variations of the officer's bullion hat badge. The second is some CABR shoulder titles. The top one is is the trial title produced in the late 1970's that was never adopted. The regiment continued to wear the generic 'CANADA' title on their dress jacket (yellow stitching on dark green wool). The subdued shoulder title was stitched on the epaulette slip-ons that were worn on the jump smock and combat uniform. Sometime in the 1980's, the subdued design was the basis for the shoulder insignia for the dress jacket, produced in maroon twill and thread with golden yellow stitching.

Ian

The first cap badge looks like the ones made by Joe Drouin well after The Canadian Airborne Regiment was disbanded.

Phil

Thanks for that Phil. Noted for now.

Ian