Canadian Airborne Regt officers capbadge

[Tanker Mike]

Is this an officers capbadge? Or something from the kit shop, it is very nicely detailed and has very gold coloured wings, compared to an original capbadge the detail is the same.
No markings on the back, screw posts.

[Bill A]

ISTBC, but I don't think the badge is an officer's badge. Belt buckle?

[Phillip Herring]

The screw post variety were available in the Airborne kit shop in the late 80s, early 90s. They were worn on the rectangular web belt plate.
The officers wore the wire embroidered cap badge on their berets as shown in Grimshaw's and Joyce's books. If it isn't considered arrogant of me to point that out.

Phil

[Bill A]

Phil, not everyone has access to the Grimshaw book, now long out of print. Ken Joyce only covers the SWW period.
Grimshaw does not list the screw post variety in The Badges and Insignia of the Canadian Airborne Forces (1981), nor does Clark and Pugh in Canadian Airborne Insignia 1942-Present (1994). Grimshaw lists the cloth bullion badge but does not specify it as officers, while Clark and Pugh list the bullion wire badge as officers. Grimshaw does not indicate the badge is officers, but seems to suggest the entire Airborne Regiment was to move to a cloth beret badge. Clark and Pugh indicate the wire badge was officers' issue.

[Michael Reintjes]

I only ever saw officers of this unit wearing a cloth bullion beret badge...anecdotal but still eveidence of a common practice in this unit..

[GregN]

I have a couple copies of The Maroon Beret in my book collection. The photos of the COs and officers show both a bullion and a metal cap badge being worn. I'm pretty sure the Forum has a few officers of the regiment as members, we could always just ask them what they wore, what was available and why?

The screw post badge is interesting in that the one in my collection has a fused overlay (the badge is bi-metal but one-piece) where the typical badge often seen and common is bi-metal in two pieces welded together.

My badge has been id'd as a belt overlay and I accept that, but the badge is a scarcer variety and why I've never seen this type on a belt plate - is probably because I really don't focus on Airborne Regt. badges.

Either way, while rarer it's not conclusively a "officer" badge and a such does not command the obscene prices that dealers demand (and the uninformed pay) for an "officer" badge.

Greg