Unknown Brit?? para wings

[Sock Monkey VC]

Does anybody know these? They measure 52mm wide. Looks like they came out of some very well made dies.

[engr9266]

I understand that these are British and may have been worn on Tropical uniform.
engr9266

[Sock Monkey VC]

OK, years ago a fellow sent me two pages of wings images including this one when I started collecting Brit wings. I don't know where they are from so apologies if I am posting something here and one of you fellows wrote the book.

The one shown here sure looks the close. The images are small enough and fuzzy enough for me to be completely convinced though.

Are we talking 1960's here? Earlier perhaps?

[mike_vee]

Example described as :

Parachute Regiment brass No3 dress brass wing



.

[Sock Monkey VC]

Looks like you had it. I've just seen a couple of these on eBay calling them tropical. Just corroborates what you said.

Thanks very much.

[Sock Monkey VC]

Thanks for that.

[54Bty]

Parachute with wings, small, Catalogue Number CB 0143, Pattern Number 16513, Sealed 1 Nov 1954, introduced 1 Jul 1955.

Marc

[Mike H]

Same wings also found in gold anodised

[bess55]

Voila . . .

[Sock Monkey VC]

So when I hear "Tropical" I think of a sand coloured shirt and comically huge shorts. Then I also think of the sand coloured tunic with sewn on waist belt. Would these wings be for for shirt, tunic or both?

[NEMO]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

Parachute with wings, small, Catalogue Number CB 0143, Pattern Number 16513, Sealed 1 Nov 1954, introduced 1 Jul 1955.

Marc

Excellent information Marc , thank you .

[Alan O]

Originally Posted by Sock Monkey VC

So when I hear "Tropical" I think of a sand coloured shirt and comically huge shorts. Then I also think of the sand coloured tunic with sewn on waist belt. Would these wings be for for shirt, tunic or both?

No 3 dress was the tunic. Not sure when they went out of use but in my experience the cloth ones were used and sewn on to shirts and tunics whilst gilt wire cloth ones attached by poppers to the white mess kit jackets as they were laundered regularly.

[Loski]

Originally Posted by Sock Monkey VC

So when I hear "Tropical" I think of a sand coloured shirt and comically huge shorts. Then I also think of the sand coloured tunic with sewn on waist belt. Would these wings be for for shirt, tunic or both?

British tropical No3 dress was a white tunic and I think black trousers used for ceremonial duties the metal wing was worn on these uniforms by para qualified personnel there is also an SAS version of the wing that would have been worn on the No3 dress.

[Sock Monkey VC]

So British tropical dress has come a long way since the days of Tobruk. That uniform in dark blue is what we called "Patrols" in the Cdn. Armoured Corps. In the case of reserve regiments we were not issued it but could wear it for mess functions if we purchased it privately.

Note the sloppy sod on the left had lost a collar dog so I teased him all night about that one.

I've seen those SAS wings online too. Might have to look for a pair of those.

[Luke H]

Originally Posted by Sock Monkey VC

Does anybody know these? They measure 52mm wide. Looks like they came out of some very well made dies.

To add that the Marsh Militaria repro catalogue did versions of these, below.

The wings in the OP described in his list as: ‘The Tropical metal sleeve badge for the parachute regiment’ . The ‘B’ denoted brass / gilding metal.

He supplied the SAS wings (as post #13) in both white metal and Gm.

Not my area of interest so not something I’ve ever researched but given Marsh’s proliferation I’d expect vast majority on the market of both are his* reproductions.