Arm Badge?

[BWEF]

Here is a photo taken on the 1948 Wedding day of a pre war friend of my fathers.

This friend had, as you can see, been a pilot in the RAF in WW2, and was still in uniform in 1948.

After the war he either flew for, or was loaned to, an Arab country. I don't know which one.

Is that some sort of foreign badge on his sleeve?

If so, does anyone have any ideas what it could be?

[BWEF]

I have tried to scan the arm in the hope that more of the badge will show.

Sorry, scan of badge is still too large. Will work on it.

[wardog]

Looks like an officer but he does not have any rank on his cuffs.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by wardog

Looks like an officer but he does not have any rank on his cuffs.

Maybe that is the Arab uniform, based on the RAF?

I really don't know too much about the Airforce, which is why I posted this query.

Had another go at scanning the arm badge, if that's what it is.

[wardog]

If its still an RAF uniform, might be the type of WO and NCO aircrew rank insignia that was in use 1946 to 1950. Not something I know about. http://www.rafweb.org/Ranks6C.htm

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by wardog

If its still an RAF uniform, might be the type of WO and NCO aircrew rank insignia that was in use 1946 to 1950. Not something I know about. http://www.rafweb.org/Ranks6C.htm

I see what you mean about these badges, not something I knew about before.

However, if this pilot is an O.R. rather than an officer he would have the RAF "eagles" at the top of his sleeves. I can't see any sign of that.

[locking]

The fact that he is wearing an officer's uniform with no cuff rank means he was a WARRANT OFFICER. In fact he was termed a MASTER PILOT. RAF warrant Officers do not wear the eagle on either shoulder. The only grade of w/o post 1936? was 1. I never met or saw a picture of a wo2 so cannot say whether he wore eagles.

JOHN

[wardog]

Yes, a WO would have worn an officer type uniform-so no eagles. Looking at the book it does mention the aircrew rank was worn on both uper arms, so it does look like Master Pilot,- the WO aircrew title for a Pilot. I think if he was on loan to another airforce he would have kept his uniform. I think that is all the insignia can be as I don't think he would of worn another nations badge on his uniform especialy if he was back in the UK for his wedding. Looks like he has a white shirt on which I think is still allowed for a wedding. Thats me out of ideas/ thoughts.

[wardog]

I've just found mention of the Ranks of WO 1 and WO 2 mentioned on the site link I posted and mentioned by John. I had thought there was only the single class of WO in the RAF from 1918 on -so you learn more each day. I can not find a picture though in the book 'Badges and uniforms of the Royal Air Force' by Hobart, from which the site take its info. I would be interested to see a picture of an RAF WO 2, or the badge.

[BWEF]

Thanks for all help with this post. That is a long running query solved.

I was looking at a 1937 chart of RAF badges.

[wardog]

Not seeing the badge stops it being 100% sure but with just the picture, its as good a deduction as I think you can get. Happy to have helped. Regards, Paul.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by wardog

I've just found mention of the Ranks of WO 1 and WO 2 mentioned on the site link I posted and mentioned by John. I had thought there was only the single class of WO in the RAF from 1918 on -so you learn more each day. I can not find a picture though in the book 'Badges and uniforms of the Royal Air Force' by Hobart, from which the site take its info. I would be interested to see a picture of an RAF WO 2, or the badge.

I have three publications, bound together, that illustrate the British armed forces at the time of the Coronation of King George VIth. I picked the book up when a kid, because it has photo's of the army cap badges, complete with a potted unit history.

I will try and post RAF rank badges from the 1937 publication "The Kings Airforce". If that jpg is too large I will just post a scan of a pic of the RAF's WO2 badge.

From the pic in the "The Kings Army" the RAF W.O.2's brass badge looks exactly the same as the army brass W.O.2 badge. So, once the badge is off uniform you would not know it is an RAF item at all.

[locking]

As I said although I was in the RAF for 14 years i never saw a WO2 rank badge 1958-1972.
I did come across references to it though. I believe that it looked like the ATC adult warrant officer badge. See Hobart page 115 at bottom of the page.



The CROWN was of course the Kings CROWN


JOHN

[54Bty]

Does this help?

[Jibba Jabba]

You've cracked it 54Bty, Master Aircrew arm badge.