? ww2 RN Commando ? with dagger on collar
 

Hello,

Yesterday, two online auctions from same seller came to their end.
One was for a nice sailor portrait (dated June 1944) in battle dress, with RN + Commando shoulder title, RN pork pie cap. This auction ended up quite high & I missed it.
The other one showing another sailor in BD, undated, with soulder title poorly visible finished at a far more reasonnable price, and is now on its way home.

My guess is that both pics were probably the property of the same man, and could both show RN Commando men, including possibly too from wartime period for the one attached here I managed to get.

What steers me to the assumption of a possible RN Commando, beyond their same seller source, is the presence of what seems to be a reduction of metal dagger on the collar of the sailor (never seen this practice before, guessing individual initiative?) and the possible ending «*DO*» that one can hardly be sure of, on the shoulder title.

I’d be interested to get your opinions & comments on all this.

Cheers,

JD

This thread may be of interest / relevance with a couple of similar badges shown on page 2.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ead.php?t=7749

Luke,

Thank you for this very interesting link (and the ones it contains).

As the referenced posts only show pics of the miniature alone, or worn on a cap, I wonder if anyone here could point me to ww2 period pictures showing this type of dagger miniature worn on a BD collar, as done on my pic?

Cheers,

JD

Lovely picture, congratulations on securing it.

Cannot offer any subject matter knowledge on the wearing of the badge in this way. But it does seem logical that such a chap exposed to or working with 2 Commando members wearing their converted spoon badges and taking a shine to the insignia would wear it in such a way, as wearing it on the pork pie hat would likely have been a step too far to be tolerated by his seniors.

Do you have a link to the other missed picture's auction so it can be viewed?

Cheers......John

Thanks John.

Attached is the other pic I missed, june 1944 stamped on the back. No dagger insignia worn on this one.

Cheers,

JD

Personally I think you snagged the far more interesting picture with the collar dagger interest point!

Given the date on that other picture, one wonders if these men saw action during Operation Neptune.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers......John

Hi John,

Thanks. I do share your view point on respective interest of both pics, and the fact that I got it for ~ 1/7th of the price of the other missed one is not to unplease me too. :)

As to what tasks could have made these two sailors busy in June 44, we can guess only. Last comment on my pic, I would expect one commando unit team member to be a bit more T-shaped & less ‘rond’ (w/o any disrespect for this sailor & what he served for). So most likely to me, rather 2nd line / support tasks instead of 1st line fighter.

Cheers,

JD

Hi Folks,

A fascinating photo. The F-S dagger badge appears to be an OR's cap badge from No2 Commando.

As these were never a collar badge or for RN/RM, then perhaps it was a gift from some chap out of No2 Cmdo, perhaps this Navy chap, saved his life, dragged him on board when injured etc.

Cheerio,
Roy

Found a photo online that "possibly" shows a Royal Naval Commando wearing the dagger on his hat ?

https://www.combinedops.com/COM_PHOT...0GILES%203.jpg

Or it could be that I need to go to Specsavers ! :confused:


.

Mike, I think if you follow the picture up that' dagger' is directly in line with a fault higher up. That's all it is a crease or scratch on the picture.

Thanks , I need new glasses ! :o


.