British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum - Douglas Baders RAF Hat badge?(advice required)

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Douglas Baders RAF Hat badge?(advice required)

Hello to everyone and a very merry Christmas!:D

I have had a fascination with Douglas Bader most of my life,and whilst his name can stir up many passions,I for one think he was one hell of a Flyer.

Because I have so little to do 24/7 to be precise! I have being persuaded to take up RC flying as their is a simple RC Spitfire-model from USA
so hopefully it will get me out of the house,as we live in the wilds of Norway and are surrounded by fields,so almost ideal for RC flying.

That apart I have always collected Badges/Pins/patches both military and railway related,I have just sold q quite large collection of post war German beret badges & patches.

I have a US Marines (armoured Corps) set of souvenir patches but very nice all the same + some modern pins e..t.c (not genuine) and one US ARMY Armored Division patch (Real)

But my real reason for today's thread is Badges and Bader.
I would like to see exactly which RAF badges He would have worn?

I noticed in "Reach For The Sky" when he left Roehampton he was wearing a standard RAF officers Hat with what looked like a warrant officers metal cap badge (must be my mistake) but if someone can supply some pics of what he would have worn I maybe can buy the odd genuine and copies for the more expensive.

Many thanks Steve:D

Hi Steve

You are correct, he (Kenneth Moore that is!) is indeed wearing a standard RAF Warrant Officers cap badge. At the time he was portraying Bader as an Officer Cadet at RAF Cranwell and as such the uniform is an officers tunic, the cap of a Warrant Officer (1st Class) but with a white cloth band instead of a black mohair one to signify him being an Officer Cadet.

At the time the RAF had the Warrant Officer (2nd Class) and (1st Class) rank. The former wore the same pattern uniform as airmen (serge and standard Airmens cap badge) with the large crown rank badge on the lower sleeves. The Warrant Officer (1st Class) basically wore officers uniform (barathea wool) but with a cap bearing the WO badge and patent leather peak. Officer Cadets basically wore the same uniform (but of the top of my head) with a white shirt rather than blue, as they were effectively given the same rank, albeit temporary.

Douglas Bader and the Canadians

Hi Steve:
Your fascination with Douglas Bader can easily be understood. I have a great audio clip taken from a talk at a dinner he gave in the 1970's I think, about his first meeting with the Canadian 242nd Fighter Squadron. It's good quality, very funny and ultimately priceless. I am unable to upload it to the Forum but I can send it out to anyone in either mp3 or wav formats. It's around 5 MB in size. Just send me a private message or indicate your email address in this thread.

Excellent! many thanks

zorgon:D

A big hello,and great thanks I will PM My email address
look forward to seeing the film clip very much

best wishes Steve:D:D

SAS1 Many thanks indeed for your help

:)Hello SAS1
I firstly wish to thank you for taking the time to reply,but the information you gave me was first class and so, so helpful

I am looking at several warrant officers badges some are genuine WW" issue some are ambiguous,some are clearly replicas of different grades..

If you or any other member,could spare the time to advice & guide me in which badges to buy IE where can I buy a genuine Cap badge as you describe,,I can choose which to buy as long as I know these badges are the correct ones which Douglas will have worn?

A little simpler maybe is which of the padded cloth wings would Bader have worn?I know its a kings crown version but again if folk can possibly point me to the correct pattern (like the metal ones)*

Just as easy to try and get the choice right from the outset as get the choice wrong

I thank you all in advance

My grandmother's brother flew under Bader at 242 for a short time during the Battle of Britain before being posted to 141 Squadron.

:DGood day Phillip
many thanks for the information on your Grans brother,quite something to have flew with bader.
I actually new Ginger Lacey,when I lived in Bridlington,in those days I was a butcher and delivered their meat on my pushbike,mrs lacey was a lovely lady and ginger was quiet.always wanted is autograph, never had the courage to ask.

just thought I would mention it,even though it as not direct relaation to your comment:os

Merry Christmas
Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcspitfireman (Post 385817)

It's interesting how you can encounter these people in life. I grew up in British Columbia. One of my mother's patients had also flown with Bader and had been shot down and parachuted into an English girl's school. A lady in my home town who I did yard work for had a brother who was a mechanic on 242.
I have copies of parts of my great uncle's log book. It shows him having flown the same Hurricane that Willie McKnight was later shot down in. Corgi put out a diecast model of that particular Hurricane.

Phil

:DHi Phillip
It certainly is a very small world , so many coincidences,It all makes for very interesting reading thats for sure

Cheers Steve:D