Canvas Aircraft patch?

[thirdgreenham]

Hi guys,

Can you tell me what these are and who were these issued to?

Many thanks!

Andy

[appie_b]

RASC air despatch formation patch.

Albert

[54Bty]

And you have a lot of £ or $ there.

Marc

[thirdgreenham]

Originally Posted by appie_b

RASC air despatch formation patch.

Albert

Sorry, Royal Army Service Corps? Air dispatch formation patch?

Tough canvas patches? Any idea on why the two stacks look different?

[appie_b]

Sorry I do not know why the air despatch patches look different, I guess it has to do with the printing process or different manufacturers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/395_Air_Despatch_Troop

Albert

[thirdgreenham]

Originally Posted by appie_b

Sorry I do not know why the air despatch patches look different, I guess it has to do with the printing process or different manufacturers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/395_Air_Despatch_Troop

Albert

Thanks so much for all of your help!! I thought you made a spelling mistake, thanks for setting me straight.

The link you provided didn't mention anything about the RASC (that is Royal Army Service Corps, right?). Were they involved somehow?

Thanks again!

Andy

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by thirdgreenham

The link you provided didn't mention anything about the RASC (that is Royal Army Service Corps, right?). Were they involved somehow?

Go below;

http://www.air-despatch.co.uk/insignia/insignia.htm

[appie_b]

Hi Andy,

No worries, as you can see I edited my post after submitting it...........take a guess which letter I changed

take a look at the link Marc posted, it is all there.

Albert.

[Inverted 4 Bar Crab]

Hello,

Back in the late 80's I served on a Royal Air Force Squadron, based at RAF Lyneham. We often deployed in support of 5 Airborne Brigade exercises etc...., along with our colleagues from 47 Sqn Air Despatch (AD), Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC). The RAOC guys wore these, albeit a newer version.

I find myself wondering if they might have been worn by Air Despatchers of the Glider Pilot regiment a long time before. The aircraft featured is a Dakota.

This would suggest WW2 origin. The Airborne Museum at Hartenstein, The Netherlands may be able to confirm this.

Hope this helps. 47 Air Despatch Squadron still exist, as part of The Royal Logistics Corps and still despatch air portable loads from C-130 hercules aircraft. If you contact them, they might be able to help, or perhaps contact the RLC museum. - Hope this helps.

Regards,

Martin

Originally Posted by thirdgreenham

Hi guys,

Can you tell me what these are and who were these issued to?

Many thanks!

Andy

[fougasse1940]

Originally Posted by Inverted 4 Bar Crab

I find myself wondering if they might have been worn by Air Despatchers of the Glider Pilot regiment a long time before. The aircraft featured is a Dakota.

This would suggest WW2 origin. The Airborne Museum at Hartenstein, The Netherlands may be able to confirm this.

The GPR never had Despatchers, see the link above. The badge came into use after Arnhem so Hartenstein would not be the most logical place to look for info on these.

Rgds,

Thomas.

[Mike Jackson]

Some markers for this sign:
1. It featured in Second Edition of Heraldry in War (Apr 47) - the illustration shows the "cropped tail" C-47 version)
2. There is photo evidence of it being worn by members of the AD Gp during the Berlin Arlift (Jun 48-May 49)
3. Still being worn on OG shirts and flying overalls in original, printed format by RCT AD unit(s) based in Singapore in 1964.
Mike

[SAS1]

I think the difference between wartime and postwar is the cropped tail. The postwar ones have a more rounded top to the tail. These are all wartime.

[Mike Jackson]

This example was worn by Cpl RJM Cherry, 800 AD Coy RASC in Palestine 1948. Note the door is on the wrong (starboard) side of the aircraft:
AD Gp RASC Palestine 1948.jpg

[ASR142]

Originally Posted by Mike Jackson

This example was worn by Cpl RJM Cherry, 800 AD Coy RASC in Palestine 1948. Note the door is on the wrong (starboard) side of the aircraft:
Attachment 72121

The orignal patch design was take from a contact photo glass plate which was placed down the wrong way round on the photo paper and the tail was cut off the picture in the same process the picture was used to draw the formation patch design hence the early examples are the wrong way round and the doors are on the wrong sides as a reverse image was used for the other side
steve

[Mike Jackson]

That's entirely logical, but it's strange that the error extended to the embroidered signs. Two more examples:
Air Despatch Group.01.jpg