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#1
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SA Medics Badge
Hi All
I have recently acquired this badge, which is obviously South African and with a medical symbol, but I have never seen anything like it before. It looks like a cap badge, so maybe a prototype? It has the Lion of Nassau which is usually associated with SA Navy badges, so maybe to do with the Naval Medical dept from before them being joined with SAMS? Any advice/opinions welcomed. Thanks in advance. Cheers, Alex |
#2
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Hi Alex, I think you are correct. Maybe a doctors cap badge. I have never seen one before. Regards Andrew
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#3
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Hi Alex,
I have been collecting Medical badges for over 15 years and badges for over 30 years and this is the first time I see a badge like this. The SA navy medical service wore Naval uniform and badges up until 1983 when they became part of SAMS and adopted the new Medical Services uniform and insignia. I have a fair collection of the SA Navy medical insignia and have also seen IMM collection in Simonstown as well as the Navy museum collection in Simonstown, and neither of them have a badge like this in there collection. This definately looks naval oriented with the Lion of Nassau but very strange having the lion in red and the Caduceus and wreath in bullion. My inclination would rather bend more towards SA Ports Authority Health section officer. These were around in the 1950's,1960's onwards and they wore 'Naval' uniform, so this may be there cap badge. Very much like the US Public Health department. I found reference to this department some years ago, and cannot place where I stored the info. If I do find it I will post it to the forum. Regards Steven |
#4
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Hi Steven
Thanks for the reply. I'll look into the ports authority suggestion, though I have my doubts. It wouldn't be pre-1961 though, because the ports used a crown before then, and after '61 they used the enamelled coat-of-arms. I still think it may have been a prototype badge that wasn't used. I was also wondering if it might have been a prototype for a WO's badge for the medics or something like that. Cheers, Alex |
#5
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SA Medics badge
Hi Alex,
You could be right. In the early 80's when the Sgt Maj: Arms of Service were introduced the Army had a special badge, but the Air Force and Medics used the Col cap badge for there senior appointment Warrant officers. In 1990 the Air Force looked at having there own cap badge, see photo attached, this only got to the proto type stage and was discarded. Maybe the same thing happened with the medics? Although I would have expected it to have a gold lion on maroon backing, but proto types are not always correct in detail. You could try contacting WO Rowley Medlin he was Sgt Maj: Medics from 1993 to 2000. I will pm his e mail address. Neville
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Seadog South Africa |
#6
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Hi Neville
Thanks for that, I'll mail him and see if he has any info. Cheers, Alex |
#7
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Hi All
For anyone who is interested, I have (thanks to help from Seadog) been able to id the badge I posted, and it has made me a very happy camper . It is a SA Navy medical dept Warrant Officer First Class cap badge. As the SAN medics merged with SAMS in around 1982, it would date from before then, but I still have to find out how long it was in use. Cheers, Alex |
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