Airborne Forces

[Mike Jackson]

A facing pair, but when and where would they have been worn. All suggestions welcome.
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[Luc]

I would say these are from around WWII and worn Khaki Drill, so North African campaign or Far East perhaps even Italy.

[NEMO]

HI Michael , Luc has pretty much nailed it but
if I was forced to pick I would chose Italian campaign rather than North Africa , also , despsite what others have written else where the ` normal ` pegasus WAS WORN in the far east some times along side the India pegasus in the same unit.

The reseach I have done so far I believe the normal pegasus was worn by some airborne troops who where trained back in the UK before reaching the far east and not done their parachute training in India , I do not think this was a deliberate distincton to be different but more a personal choice. From the examples Ive seen a good few of them were airborne officers serving with corps , one of them was a UK trained para officer who was badged intelligence corps serving at command H.Q , you get the picture?

Also , please examine your pegasus signs very close and check to see if the word ` INDIA ` was once present ? troops returning to the UK that came under control of airborne forces who still wore the India pegasus were ordered to remove them , some troops just un picked the lettering for the word India , regards ,Michael.

[Mike Jackson]

Thanks. No sign of the word INDIA having been unpicked (in any case embroidered 44 Indian AB Div signs must be pretty few and far between - almost every example that surfaces is printed). Many standard Airborne Forces signs must have been worn east of Suez in the 1940s -for example 5 Para Bde left 6 AB Div and arrived in India in Aug 45, serving later in Java. This formation - unless it came under command of 2 Indian AB Div - and also the battalions that left 6 AB Div to serve in Palestine will have tended to wear the Airborne Forces sign - and their wings - with press studs.