KC bullion Army Flying Badge on QC uniform
 

I have just acquired this No.1 Dress tunic and trousers. The reason why it caught my eye is the bullion KC Army Flying Badge.

Needless to say, one would not normally expect to see a KC set of wings on what is clearly a modern tunic. The tunic maker's label carries description 'Jacket No.1 Dress Blue OR' and reference (which I assume is NATO item reference code?). The QC buttons and gorgets are presumably those of Staff Officer? The campaign and jubilee medal ribbons all date from post-1952 (including GBE/KBE/CBE/OBE/MBE, GSM 1962-2007, OSM Afghanistan 2003, QEII Golden Jubilee Medal 2002, Accumulated CSM 1994-2011, US Joint Service Commendation Medal 1963 onwards).

Beyond costume (fancy dress hire) purposes, I would appreciate any ideas on why a KC Army Flying Badge might be in this tunic?

The reason why I acquired it was the bullion KC Army Flying Badge, so will not be at all distressed if does not belong to the tunic in question (I could only think of costume purposes or use by qualified Army pilot of badge inherited from grandad/uncle).

I'm going to go more left field and say the Army Flying Badge belongs more to the jacket than the medal ribbons do.

(That said, I have a Blue Patrol jacket originally worn by the Colonel of the Regiment I collect but "repurposed" by his son who also ended up a Colonel and put his own medal ribbons on it, combination his father couldn't have had).

Thank you for the additional possible scenario ;)

Although I cannot offer an explanation as to why there is a KC flying badge on there, but suffice to say it looks to be a very nice example and you did well to get it.

Jack.

Thank you Jack! Yes, I am happy to have acquired this one.

I should mention that it is the smaller version of wing, as introduced in mid-1944, so dating from 1944-1952.

Still on the look out for the larger (earlier) wartime version :rolleyes:

I believe that I have now found the answer. There is a surname and initial on the label of the trousers (which incidentally is different to that on the tunic). Having cross-checked this with entries in The London Gazette for AAC officers who were awarded GBE/KBE/CBE/OBE/MBE, I found a match. Moreover, after digging a bit further on Ancestry, I found out that his father also served as an officer with the AAC. Actually, both father and son were initially commissioned into the Royal Artillery and then transferred to the Army Air Corps; retiring as full Colonels.

As such, the Army Flying Badge most probably belonged to the father, who probably served as an Air Observation Pilot (or perhaps in the GPR before being commissioned). The tunic may have belonged to the father as well. Certainly, the trousers were tailor-made for the son.

What would be good now is to find a set of full colonel's shoulder boards, to complete the tunic.


The career path followed by father and son was as follows:

Father

• Commissioned Dec 1944, Royal Artillery
• Royal Aero Club aviator certificate 1947 as "qualified service pilot"
• Mentioned-in-despatches Jan-Jun 1949, Malaya, Capt, RA
• Awarded Military Cross Feb 1950, Malaya, Capt, 26 Fld Regt RA
• Promoted 1958 to Maj, RA
• Transferred 1959 from RA to Army Air Corps
• Promoted 1967 to Lt-Col, AAC
• Promoted 1971 to Colonel, AAC (Commands & Staff)
• Retired 1974 as Colonel, AAC

Son

• Commissioned 1976, Gen List
• Promoted Mar 1978 to Lt, Royal Artillery
• Promoted Sept 1982 to Capt, RA
• Transferred Sept 1987 to AAC
• Promoted 1989 from Capt to Maj, AAC
• Promoted Jun 1996 from Maj to Lt-Col, AAC
• Awarded OBE Jan 2004
• Retired May 2012 as Col, AAC

Nice that the flying badge can probably be attributed to a twice decorated senior officer.

Jack.

Who is the son ?
I may know him !

Good research Doug SA
An interesting thread - any viable explanation of such anomalies is welcome

...so, evidently this uniform has the same story-line as your Blue Patrol Jacket, with father and son Colonel's! :)

Have sent PM.

I have now managed to locate the son and have just had a nice telephone call.

He confirmed that the No.1 Dress was indeed his and that the wings were his father's.

While I originally had in mind to remove the wings, for my collection, and sell on the uniform - in the case that it had been put together for costume purposes, or some other reason - I shall now be keeping it 'as is'. It is an added bonus to have the story behind it.

May of bought the wings from a flea market - surplus shop due to availability (None flying / different unit). reason I say that, the old clothing store used to collect all the badges at Commando Logs. I used to go through them and I picked up a WW2 para wing and a Dagger. :)