AA para badge by Gaunt

[Luc]

A recent find, a 1964 maroon beret named to A.B. Alston with an AA para cap badge to it made by Gaunt. There is a nice ghost image of the badge so I suppose it is genuine to the beret. However the Gaunt stamp is much less pronounced than the one shown on the Makers Marks page; any opinions?

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Luc

A recent find, a 1964 maroon beret named to A.B. Alston with an AA para cap badge to it made by Gaunt. There is a nice ghost image of the badge so I suppose it is genuine to the beret. However the Gaunt stamp is much less pronounced than the one shown on the Makers Marks page; any opinions?

Hi Luc,

The mark is good and first used (as far as I can deduce from Gaunt documentation) around 1966.

At this time I believe that the slider marks were hand stamped and are therefore to be found variable in strike, position etc. on the slider. I have a feeling that this process was automated later on due to the more consistent markings found on later era badges but I have not been able to confirm this.

Regards

Chris

[Luc]

Excellent news Chris, thanks!

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Chris,
Would their earlier examples carry their London mark on the sliders?
Regards Frank

Originally Posted by hagwalther

Hi Luc,

The mark is good and first used (as far as I can deduce from Gaunt documentation) around 1966.

At this time I believe that the slider marks were hand stamped and are therefore to be found variable in strike, position etc. on the slider. I have a feeling that this process was automated later on due to the more consistent markings found on later era badges but I have not been able to confirm this.

Regards

Chris

[bess55]

Luc,
A very nice find of a beret that shows a lot of wear and bleaching, being well contemporary for service in Aden 1964 -67. All three Parachute Regt Bn's served there.

However whilst the beret has service wear, the badge does not and one would expect to see some on an anodised badge - rubbing on the front and marking on the neck of the slider. So I would suggest that the badge is not the original badge for the beret from issue as it were and it may have had one or more others before the badge it now sports. It could well be contemporary for a later date, also bearing in mind that even though the date of manufacture is 1964, it may have sat on a store shelf for a few years before issue.

There are many different anodised aluminium makers for this cap badge and one would probably expect to have seen an earlier maker than Gaunt B.ham. (the ghosted outline in the beret fabric would be pretty much be the same for any maker with a slider)

A great find, especially if it was for a decent price!

Regards all

Bess

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Bess,
I think it important to remember that a beret does not have to have been issued in the year it was actually made, but, the badges are of very considerable interest, what would you have expected to see on this beret?
Regards Frank

[bess55]

Originally Posted by Frank Kelley

Hello Bess,
I think it important to remember that a beret does not have to have been issued in the year it was actually made, but, the badges are of very considerable interest, what would you have expected to see on this beret?
Regards Frank

Hi Frank, probably an early Smith & Wright example I would think.

All the best

Bess

[Loski]

Originally Posted by bess55

Luc,
A very nice find of a beret that shows a lot of wear and bleaching, being well contemporary for service in Aden 1964 -67. All three Parachute Regt Bn's served there.

However whilst the beret has service wear, the badge does not and one would expect to see some on an anodised badge - rubbing on the front and marking on the neck of the slider. So I would suggest that the badge is not the original badge for the beret from issue as it were and it may have had one or more others before the badge it now sports. It could well be contemporary for a later date, also bearing in mind that even though the date of manufacture is 1964, it may have sat on a store shelf for a few years before issue.

There are many different anodised aluminium makers for this cap badge and one would probably expect to have seen an earlier maker than Gaunt B.ham. (the ghosted outline in the beret fabric would be pretty much be the same for any maker with a slider)

A great find, especially if it was for a decent price!

Regards all

Bess

just to add to the makers of AA slider Para badges as an army cadet in Aldershot in the 1980's I was issued one if I remember correctly the maker was Firmin.