Strange looking wing

[Tanker Mike]

Very strange looking wing, looks old from the moth eaten wool.

Would this have been issued to US troops?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/191105151125?...125%26_rdc%3D1

[shootemup]

Red leaf wing for wear on battledress?

Someone more informed may be able to speak to when the red/white leaf wings were introduced and if the militia was still wearing BD then?

[servicepub]

The description sugests that it is for wear on a foreign uniform, not on Cdn BD. If this is the case the wings would be made by the foreign country in order to have the correct backing material/colour. I know the US have a suply of Cdn wings whereas in Canada we tend to wear the British and German wings on their cloth backing as applicable. That said, we manufactire privately, wings for mess dress on Scarlet backing for many foreign wings.

[Infanteer]

Originally Posted by Tanker Mike

Would this have been issued to US troops?

Those are some odd wings. The wings used by US troops that I'm aware of are all black with a red maple leaf embroidered on a green cotton type backing. I'm sure they have different backings now with the various camouflage uniforms being used.

[edstorey]

This wing appears to be a fantasy piece. The wing style is post-Unification, so after BD was dropped in Canada in favour of the CF Uniform. By the time this wing style was issued, the British had stopped wearing BD and the US had not worn BD-style Field Jackets since the 1950s.

The question should have been, "Why would someone manufacture a post-1967 style of parachute wing on BD material when there would be no market for it?"

[servicepub]

I don't think that we should assume that this was made for Cdn or Brit BD. It could have been made up for any number of other countries that wear a brown wool uniform.
I am not making comment on the authenticity of the badge itself, just on the collective jumping to conclusions.

[edstorey]

Besides our NATO Allies, all of whom had stopped wearing BD by the time this wing was introduced, who would wear it?

[servicepub]

Originally Posted by edstorey

Besides our NATO Allies, all of whom had stopped wearing BD by the time this wing was introduced, who would wear it?

I am not suggesting that it was worn on BD. I said a brown wool uniform but it could also have been worn on brown barathea as the material of the backing of a badge doesn't have to be identical to the uniform on which it is placed - an example being Canadian CF uniforms are not made of wool while the badges have a wool/felt backing.

C

[shootemup]

Actually, army cadets continued to wear BD for some time after unification...I just don't know if at that point army cadets were already taking the Basic Parachutist course and entitled to wear that badge.

[ddaydodger]

Originally Posted by shootemup

Actually, army cadets continued to wear BD for some time after unification...I just don't know if at that point army cadets were already taking the Basic Parachutist course and entitled to wear that badge.

Even if cadets were taking a Basic Para course, why a brown backed wing? The pre-unification jump wing wasn't brown backed, but green, same as the CF wing. That would go for Militia as well, who were wearing BD up to 1974, in some units.

[shootemup]

So poking around in the Legion archives last night I found a reference in a 1976 newsletter to army cadets attending the basic parachutist course.

From the armycadethistory.ca website, cadets wore battledress until at least 1978.

My guess on this would be that the badge could very well have be made and intended for wear on BD by para qualified cadets, and was a cadet supply system only item, or perhaps a jump school kitshop item?

[ddaydodger]

Originally Posted by shootemup

So poking around in the Legion archives last night I found a reference in a 1976 newsletter to army cadets attending the basic parachutist course.

From the armycadethistory.ca website, cadets wore battledress until at least 1978.

My guess on this would be that the badge could very well have be made and intended for wear on BD by para qualified cadets, and was a cadet supply system only item, or perhaps a jump school kitshop item?

I still think it MAY be a foreign wing, or a fantasy piece. It makes no sense that is a cadet BD piece. The pre-unification wing was green backed as so was the post unification wing. Why would you brown back a green wing when the forces were already wearing a green wing with BD? I think you are on the wrong track.

[Darrell]

Hi

What's the story on this one then?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/VERY-RARE-WW2...#ht_600wt_1080

regards
Darrell

[shootemup]

Well, for example, you can also find some very nice, full colour, rank badges, qualification badges, and cadet service chevrons on the same brown backing for wear on cadet BD or TW.

[ddaydodger]

Originally Posted by shootemup

Well, for example, you can also find some very nice, full colour, rank badges, qualification badges, and cadet service chevrons on the same brown backing for wear on cadet BD or TW.

Yes, you can, that is the way they are produced/ manufactured to spec. But why would you completely alter an issue badge to something different? Makes no sense.