[3dg]

Originally Posted by High Wood

Come on now chaps, if you look carefully at the badge on the beret you will notice that the Parachute Regiment badge has had the crown removed.

What you are all missing is that these badge badges were worn by the Free French paratroops (R.E.M.E) detachment. A very small, specialist unit comprising only 20 members, who had all previously worked at the Renault factory in Caen, before being smuggled out of occupied France by the S.O.E.

They were parachuted into Arromanches, with their two, fully equipped workshop vehicles, (disguised as chip vans), before midnight on the 5th June 1944.

Though not widely known, there is a file about their mission at the National Archives at Kew. WO 229/1909. "Operation Merde du Bouef" for those who want to read more about it.

A very rare badge and an absolute bargain at £60.

The cloth shoulder title, F.F.P.R.E.M.E., are only ever found printed, (the embroidered ones are all fake. They do turn up now and again and I believe that J.D.R. had one for sale on his website recently.

Brilliant!
The mystery of this wonderful item of history is solved!