Question about placement of Parachute wings.

[matt-e-g2012]

Hi, i have a question about my late Granfather, his history during ww2 is patchy and he never spoke of his experiances, me and my uncle peiced bits and peices together but i will only include the facts we know, He was in the parachute regiment 8th battalion before and around d-day but got wounded, captured then somehow got repatriated, he was then transfered to the 10th battalion and took part in Market Garden, he landed somwhere near eindoven but landed on a Pylon and again was badly injured, broken ribs and head injuries, he was found by the Germans with nothing on him to indicate he was British and was taken to a monestary in Sint-Oedenrode, Netherlands, 3 miles dead north of eindoven, he was to ill to be moved and while he was there the Americans liberated the area and again was repatriated. we have proof of this through various documents and personal letters. My question is on his picture he clearly wears his wings on the left breast, but i thought they should be on his left shoulder, why would this be? does it mean some sort of special forces? someone did suggest soe or sas but he wore a para cap badge, and he didnt speak any foreign languages. I find this fascinating to be involved in d-day and market garden is unusual, but also to be captured twice and repatriated twice without ever seeing a POW camp is remarkable. His Rank was private. would really be gratful for any help on this, Thanks,
Matt.
p.s can someone let me know how to attach pictures:-)

[Tab]

It was only the officers that wore their wings over their left breast pocket all other ranks wore them on their sleeve. This went on till just after the war when every one then had to wear them on their sleeve

[matt-e-g2012]

Thanks for the info, thats why its a mystery as he was definatly not an officer, i think it would help if i upload some pics, the top picture is earlier, ive noticed hes wearing a different style of wing, wich after a search i cant find reference of, i believe the wing hes wearing on the bottom picture is from 1944.

[Rover]

The only personnel authorised to wear regular para wings on the breast were SOE agents who had made an operational jump.

SAS wings were not formally approved by the Army Council until 1948 when the SAS were reformed; before that they had only been approved locally. That allowed the SAS - not regular paras - to do their own thing with the badge moving from arm to breast after 3 operational jumps. After the war and the disbandment of the SAS, the War Office prohibited the wearing of SAS wings on the breast, that position being the preserve of [glider] pilots' wings. Glider Rgt since disbanded.

The main criteria for wearing wings on the left breast being 'three operational jumps'.
These days the only ones wearing para wings on the left breast being those qualified members of the Boy Scouts.

Rover