Specific Period?

[HARLEBEKE]

I have a collection of RFC and RAF cap badges and have noticed that some of the RFC badges are bowed out in the middle. I understand this is not unusual and that on some occasions a broom handle was used to obtain the effect. I have just obtained an RAF badge with the same modification. Does anyone know if this was an affectation found commonly during a certain period? Would it indicate an early RAF badge for example? Any observations would be appreciated.

[cga00]

Originally Posted by HARLEBEKE

I have a collection of RFC and RAF cap badges and have noticed that some of the RFC badges are bowed out in the middle. I understand this is not unusual and that on some occasions a broom handle was used to obtain the effect. I have just obtained an RAF badge with the same modification. Does anyone know if this was an affectation found commonly during a certain period? Would it indicate an early RAF badge for example? Any observations would be appreciated.

I have also been told that it is not unusual to find RAF badges with a bowed out front and that they were modified over a broom handle. Having said that I have never come across one, so I have concluded that it was something done by the wearer to make him stand out from the crowd, and maybe it wasn't that common a practice.
I do however have a RAF cap badge in bronze very similar to the badge shown here http://www.britairforce.com/imagepag..._wraf_1918.htm on an early WRAF hat. I'm pretty sure that my badge was manufactured bowed out and is an early example. Perhaps the brass badges were altered to mimic these badges?
Regards, Craig

[HARLEBEKE]

Thank you Craig. Much appreciated.

[wardog]

Five years on and I wonder if anything more is known on this subject. Were officers RFC badges made domed? Is it known if any ORs badges were made domed? Perhaps some ORs shaped their badges to mimic the officers?
I got hold of some QC RAF GM badges in the 80s and wore one with the 'RAF' bulled up-took a file to it, used wet and dry paper then brasso, then shaped it to my cap. A high percentage of RAF cap badges for sale have had extra work done on the RAF letters. Regards, Paul.
PS I wonder if we have any ex RAF National Service men as members, might remember if the practice of shaping and extra bulling the RAF letters existed then.