V Force? Opinions please.

[Bill A]

A V Force cap badge on offer on ebay. Opinions?

[Unknownsoldier]

IMVHO: FAKE............ Sorry, I think I've only ever seen one I was happy with....

Tom

[Deejayuu]

Bill,
i am not comfortable with die struck versions of this badge. As far as i am aware they should be either cast or far more commonly hand made and brazed together. The unit was instigated in the field and was a very small unit and was only in being a short time. The vendors provenace on the badge rests on the reputation of an old collector rarther than from the original owner. The collector i pressume is no longer available to comment on the badges history.
There is an example of a hand built badge in the Cambridgeshire regt museum within Duxford Museum in the UK.
I have 3 badges to the V force, firstly a hand built other ranks which i am sure is 100% genuine, secondly a cast silver badge which looks and feels right but am only 90% convinced, thirdly a die struck badge which is a 100% repro. Not even sure why i am keeping it?
Cheers, Dave

Based on former repro I had whic is very close to the one you show here, I'd go for a repro too but can't be 100% certain. Only the original owner could tell, if it was a real one.

[Bill A]

Thanks guys, my thinking is confirmed by your replies.
Dave, Excellent images. Having the collectors post an image of an authentic badge to compare with is one of the best features of this forum.

The badge posted by Bill is definitely wrong - it was made in the 1970s by a well- known dealer at the time, now deceased. The original badges have a single blade-type fitting to the back & are normally cast or hand-made i.e. cut out after being cast. The silver ones are made the same again with a single blade not lugs. In my album there is a 22 ct. plus gold-variation with the blade fitting. This was made for a man who served behind the lines & was for use instead of carrying the gold sovereigns which many V Force men did; he had his cap badge which weighs over a troy ounce, his buttons - each weighing half a troy ounce; all the buttons & the badge were blackened originally but when I bought the badge he had already cleaned off all the blacking.
Dave, your silver one is one I have come across a few times & they were made post war for some of the veterans. You are right about your die-struck one - it is a wrong one but as for your first one, I think originally it would have had a blade fitting but somebody has crudely soldered lugs on.
Could you pm me a better picture for my records because it is another variation to add to my other pictures. If you ever want to sell it, please let me know. PS I can dream.

[natal01]

Hi,
Maybe I can get an opinion on the V Force badge I picked up a while back. It is well cast in brass and has a slider . Much of the original blacking is still there. Up until now I haven't had anything to compare it to so this debate is quite interesting.
It is quite amazing how often these odd items turn up in SA and I guess that it is because a lot of the old veterans settled here after the War escaping from post war austerity in Britain.
Mike

it a good badge


peter

[natal01]

Thanks, Peter. I'll look at it in a new light from now on.
Mike