Every one of these badges that you will see on e-bay are FAKE.
The genuine badges were worn by Officers and WO's of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) during WW2 . The correct fitting is two loops to reverse and the reversed is impressed 'STERLING SILVER". The badge is of course silver. You should expect to pay up to 500GBP for an original.
The 1st Battalion RUR formed part of 1st Airlanding Brigade 1941-1943; and from 1943-1945 were part 6th Airlanding Brigade under 6th Airborne Division. They were engaged at Arnhem.
This origin of this badge is actually the mount for the officer's cord boss.
On April 6th 1946 the Royal Ulster Rifles began to petition to change the Officer's cap badge from the cord boss (worn on the forage cap) to a silver plated version of the Other ranks badge. That petition was ultimately successful. WO32/12077 deals with this petition.
In this file is data relating to the airborne badge. J.R Gaunt were comissioned to provide samples of an officer's badge to replace the cord boss. A memo from J. R. Gaunt and Sons, dated 21 September 1948 states...
"As a matter of interest, we would point out that ordinarily they (i.e. The RUR) used these badges(i.e. the other ranks regular type cap badge) on the beret, but about 2 years ago, at the request of the regiment, another firm cut a die of similiar design to the boss mount, but much larger, and this was adopted for use on the beret. Consequently. we ourselves also found it necessary to cut a die, and we enclose one of these badges in case you would like to bring the matter to the attention of the regiment."
Thus Gaunt did not make the "Airborne" badge worn by officers and W/Os during the war (another unknown company did) but they did make a die following the example of "the other firm". I speculate that this die is the source of all the subsequent fakes?
Below is a fake airborne badge and on the right the officers cord boss (genuine) on which the design was based.
John
|