SAS Insignia - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

johanwiegman · #1 19-02-13, 07:53 PM

Friends,

Please see picture of a card of old SAS insignia. From the fifties, I would think. I believe this is stored somewhere in the IWM.

Excellent reference material.

Cheers,

Johan

Mike Jackson · #2 19-02-13, 08:29 PM

Interesting. Can an expert explain the reason for the very wierd design of wings for No 1 Dress - and why wings for mess kit are full size (unlike parachute wings (and the Army Commando FS knife badge) which are about 60% of the size of full size wings?
Mike

HamandJam · #3 19-02-13, 09:27 PM

Hi Johan,

I have seen this pic before.

I had a similar badge which is here described as officers badge.

Cheers,
JB

Quote:

Originally Posted by johanwiegman

Friends,

Please see picture of a card of old SAS insignia. From the fifties, I would think. I believe this is stored somewhere in the IWM.

Excellence reference material.

Cheers,

Johan

johanwiegman · #4 19-02-13, 10:00 PM

Hi JB,

I am pretty sure the Officers and OR beret badges were identical at the time.

The (bullion) beret badges for officers were introduced later, early sixties, I think.

Anybody knows the exact year?

Cheers,

Johan

tynesideirish · #5 19-02-13, 11:51 PM

Hi everyone, I used this exact picture in my booklet on SAS insignia. The strange Officers Blues silver Bullion badge was just a makers variant and as the contents of the Officer's mess obviously didn't amount to a great number back then, they had them made in very small batches. The Mess dress badges were near normal size back then too. The real mini badges are a modern thing.

fougasse1940 · #6 20-02-13, 12:57 AM

Chris Marsh in his Anodised Aluminium book has these cards dated at 1970.

Rgds,

Thomas.

rhodesianmilitaria · #7 20-02-13, 08:21 AM

The cloth beret badge on that card is identical to the OR's beret for the RhSAS.

Mike B · #8 20-02-13, 12:28 PM

Thanks for posting this Johan - interesting observations drawn from members - a thread worth keeping an eye on
Regards
Mike

johanwiegman · #9 20-02-13, 08:21 PM

Friends,

A Forum member pointed out the reference card may actually be from the early 60's.

BD is no longer mentioned and No. 2 dress was introduced in the 60's.

I have a picture of a similar card for 21 SAS, which is dated to 18 September 1956. May have posted it before. That reference card set was in the old SAS Museum in the Duke of York's barracks in London.

Please find attached the picture and notice the differences and similarities.

Sorry for the funny watermarks of the scanner software.

Cheers,

Johan

SAS1 · #10 20-02-13, 10:48 PM

I remember the small museum at the Duke of York's, at the top of the stairs to the right. Shame I never had a camera on me.