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  #31  
Old 15-01-12, 05:38 PM
HamandJam HamandJam is offline
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Johan,
I think you are right some were just made pink. Remember also that for early wings there is no sealed pattern for those, it was all very unofficial. Except that it is said that the two shades of blue in the wing refer to Oxford and Cambridge. Jock Lewis and another early Sas officer forgot his name rowed for each respectively.

Talking about fading when looking at early SAS cloth beret badges the feathers
often turn from blue into green.

Great thread with wonderful wings.

Cheers
JB


Quote:
Originally Posted by johanwiegman View Post
Friends,

I have some early wings also with white outline around the outer wings.

No trace of pink on these early wings either. See picture. Notice the crude way
of fixing it to a shirt, probably with a safety pin through the wire loops.

The more I think about it, the more it becomes clear to me the pink wings are not just a case of fading. I believe they were made like that. The question remains where they come from.

Cheers,

Johan
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  #32  
Old 15-01-12, 07:07 PM
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Some great wings shown in this thread, not my thing but never the less very interesting.
Just a thought, could the pink colour have come from the very fine sand dust blowing in the air out in the Middle East?
Regards Tony.
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  #33  
Old 15-01-12, 07:24 PM
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Default Fine dust?

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Originally Posted by tonyb View Post
Some great wings shown in this thread, not my thing but never the less very interesting.
Just a thought, could the pink colour have come from the very fine sand dust blowing in the air out in the Middle East?
Regards Tony.
Hi Tony,

I do not believe fine dust could turn selected bits of cloth on wings into pink.

It is true some vehicles left in the desert took on a kind of pinkish colour and the "Pink Panther" Land Rovers of the SAS were painted pink at one point in time for perfect desert camouflage.

Cheers,

Johan
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  #34  
Old 15-01-12, 07:34 PM
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Default Fading

Quote:
Originally Posted by HamandJam View Post
Johan,
I think you are right some were just made pink. Remember also that for early wings there is no sealed pattern for those, it was all very unofficial. Except that it is said that the two shades of blue in the wing refer to Oxford and Cambridge. Jock Lewis and another early Sas officer forgot his name rowed for each respectively.

Talking about fading when looking at early SAS cloth beret badges the feathers
often turn from blue into green.

Great thread with wonderful wings.

Cheers
JB
Hi JB,

I think you are right that fading does occur and sunrays can easily discolour cloth. On the leftmost wings in the first post the blue on the outer wings has turned into a kind of blueish green also.

However, the pink colour is so consistent, even on wings otherwise unfaded like the Paddy Mayne wings, that I believe some wings were made with a pink heart.

I am open to references or proof where the pink wings were produced. It would be interesting asking one of the veterans of the early SAS still alive. Typically, those old hands still surviving have more important things to bother about than a silly question of some hobby badge collectors...

Cheers,

Johan
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  #35  
Old 16-01-12, 12:31 PM
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An interesting topic Johan. Attached an image of one of my examples, regards, Clive.
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  #36  
Old 16-01-12, 12:44 PM
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Default Wings

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Originally Posted by seebee1 View Post
An interesting topic Johan. Attached an image of one of my examples, regards, Clive.
Hi Clive,

Interesting! Exactly the same pattern as my own wings listed at #1, but just slightly more faded.

What is your idea of the origin of this pattern of wings?

Cheers,

Johan
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  #37  
Old 16-01-12, 02:26 PM
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Wish I knew the origin of manufacture Johan, I would have thought UK made, but not on firm ground on this topic unfortunately. Regards, Clive.
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  #38  
Old 05-02-12, 08:51 PM
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Default Response from a former SAS member

Friends,

The pink wing story keeps fascinating me. I posed a question to a former SAS member and received the attached answer.

Cheers,

Johan


“Interesting question about the pink SAS wings! I’m afraid that to the best of my knowledge I cannot confirm the fact that the pink centre wings are from the early desert days in Egypt or that the colour is caused by fading. I have seen wings with the pink colour on an officers jacket the officer in question had not joined the SAS until early 1944 which would make it unlikely that he would have been issued with wings made in Egypt or Italy. Equally I have seen wings that do not have the pink colour on them that were issued in the Italian theatre.

My own thoughts are that some batches were made like this for some unknown reason or other. I have seen several sets of wings that belonged to members of the Rhodesian LRDG and as far as I can remember none of them have that pink or faded colour in them which you might have expected bearing in mind they spent much of their war in warmer climes for the majority of the time.

It also needs to be borne in mind that the wings were not officially recognised so I doubt that anyone outside the SAS would have known exactly what pattern they should confirm to which means that individuals may have had batches made up by different tailors at different times.

Not a lot of use I know but it’s the best I can come up with”.
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  #39  
Old 08-02-12, 05:13 PM
actionoke actionoke is offline
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Default LRDG wing purple/pink

I have read the LRDG had purple or pink colour under the chute .I have one and it came from a Rhodesian here in South Africa .
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  #40  
Old 11-02-12, 10:13 PM
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Default Pink wings

Friends,

Interestingly, the original WW2 description of SAS wings does not specify the colour of the centre part behind the rigging lines.

It just says "a pair of dark blue and pale blue wings with a white parachute in the centre, on a background of dark blue material".

This could explain the variation of colours used for the centre part of the wings.

Cheers,

Johan
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  #41  
Old 11-02-12, 10:52 PM
jdr jdr is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by actionoke View Post
I have read the LRDG had purple or pink colour under the chute .I have one and it came from a Rhodesian here in South Africa .
Your bottom two wings are not original in my opinion
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  #42  
Old 12-02-12, 01:12 AM
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Unfortunately, I agree with JDR. The infamous "Greek" wing surfaces again.
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  #43  
Old 12-02-12, 11:39 AM
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That is a very interesting document Johan, clear and concise description, though of course does not explain or describe many of the variations that we so often see. Although "off topic" I have always wanted to find or see anything that mentions the award or issue of the Jedburgh Special Force Wing. Somehow I doubt that this exists. Regards, Clive.
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  #44  
Old 12-02-12, 12:34 PM
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Default SF wings

Quote:
Originally Posted by seebee1 View Post
That is a very interesting document Johan, clear and concise description, though of course does not explain or describe many of the variations that we so often see. Although "off topic" I have always wanted to find or see anything that mentions the award or issue of the Jedburgh Special Force Wing. Somehow I doubt that this exists. Regards, Clive.
hi Clive,

That document is from the Public Records Office in Kew. There was a lot of discussion at the time on wearing SAS wings on the left breast, rather than on the right arm. You can find information on that struggle in another recent thread.

I can remember some references to SOE wearing wings on the left breast also. Will see what I can find. I have not seen any direct references to the SF wings.

Cheers,

Johan
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  #45  
Old 19-02-12, 09:08 AM
HamandJam HamandJam is offline
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Interesting Johan,

This is the ACI order 995 that officially authorized the SAS parachute wings but it is not from ww2 but only from 1948.


See also Brian Davis book page 68.

Cheers,
JB


Quote:
Originally Posted by johanwiegman View Post
Friends,

Interestingly, the original WW2 description of SAS wings does not specify the colour of the centre part behind the rigging lines.

It just says "a pair of dark blue and pale blue wings with a white parachute in the centre, on a background of dark blue material".

This could explain the variation of colours used for the centre part of the wings.

Cheers,

Johan
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