Special Boat Service- Good or Bad??

[Coast Watcher]

Thanks Mike.

[pontecagnano]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Hello Matt
I believe the original artwork suggests the Frog Badge was designed (and manufactured) as early as 1948/1949. I very much regret not having bought it - there were about four sketches and explanation.
Mike

Hello Mike,
I think these were the sketches. I believe the round patch with them is a modern eBay copy. I've attached a couple of vintage examples but these could be copies too. I know a very well known collector who owned an original but he didn't take a photo of it. Every time I show him a possible candidate he says it doesn't look right!
Regards,
Graham

[GloucYeoman]

Graham,
Brilliant, thanks for that and confirms it as a Unit sign in the cat description. The badge sold with the artwork in the catalogue is identical to the 80s Morigi fake.
Thanks again for that informative picture.
Regards
Matt

[Mike B]

Graham
That's the art work - thanks for sharing the image etc.

It has turned out to be a very informative thread. The SBS must have one of the most complex lineages of any unit - particularly when you consider the WW2 RM Units and Combined Operations units whose traditions etc are perpetuated in it eg: RMBPD, RMBPD (Earthworm Section), SOG - Det 385, SRU, etc etc. In addition to 1 SBS, 2 SBS and 101 Tp, SB Squadron. COPPs. et al.

All the best
Mike

[pontecagnano]

I found some personal correspondence (concerning the small round 'sports patch' rather than the original frog design) that included the following:

'It was never a beret badge, the design first appeared on the office door of the Small Raids Wing [SRW] at Eastney Barracks in the '50s. (Before unit moved to Poole) Designed by Jim Earle on 'the back of a fag packet' so the story goes. A number were manufactured and made available to members at that time. Certainly not a uniform item. As you say probably sports wear/pyjamas etc'

This appears to indicate that the 'sports patch' was a slightly later development based on the original Tom Boardman design.

Graham

[Mike B]

Useful information thank you - As you say, I believed this was a decorative 'unofficial' item/emblem. I know it has been used as logos etc but it is interesting to know it was used in other ways, (other than blazer too).
Mike

[Ian Adams]

If anybody has a copy of the 'Harvey" sales catalogues from the early to mid 1980"s you will see an SBS cloth cap badge in the same manufacture to other Royal Marine and officers Southern Command badges. I bought this badge at that time and in my memory it looked different to the images just in this discussion and more like an SAS cap badge in threads but not design. Somebody out there must have a copy of this catalogue and the badge in my memory. Although they were not good photocopy images I am sure the reproduction of the page will add to this debate.

[leigh kitchen]

I've had this badge for about 20 years, I thought it was a fake/repro of some kind.
It's 7.5 cm x 6 cm, possibly a "genuine" blazer badge of some age beyond 20 years or a 20 years old bad fake of a cap badge?

[Mike B]

Hello All

Ian - it would be good to see that illustration for sure if anyone can assist.

Leigh - the dimensions would in deed suggest Blazer badge - again of 2 Commando SBS (if faithful in its design) not the post war reconfiguration.

Thanks for sharing

Mike

[leigh kitchen]

Thanks button.