Authentication of Uniforms of the 1940's

[diomede]

I am trying to find out whether (specifically) Majors of the Parachute Regiiment of the 1940's wore any form of insignia on No.2 dress uniforms. IE wings, pegasus etc.

Hopefully

James

[harry hackedoff]

Hi there James, wellcome aboard.
Two things,
firstly, we have an existing member with the name of Diomed, so please change your`s to avoid confusion.
Secondly, I will post this on the Para Reg forum, where you are more likely to obtain a sensible reply
Aye, Harry

[Tab]

I think that you will find that the Para wings were worn over the left breast pocket rather like the RAF. by the officers. The pegasus emblem would have been worn only on the battle dress. If you were wearing your smock then you would have your wings on it plus your unit marker. The wings on the smock were always on arm. All OR during that time just had two BD one for best and one to wear into combat, if required.

[Shoulderholster]

Tab
I think you'll find that the guys who wore their wings above the left pocket were entitled to wear them this way. By virtue of having made covert drops into occupied Europe,usually members of SOE or Jeds etc.
Other officers wore them on the right sleeve on the No2 dress.
SH

[chunky from york]

Shoulderholster is correct the very brave men and WOMEN of SOE wore their wings on the left breast.

The only other exception was wartime members of the SAS who had parachuted on operations, who wore 'operational; wings over the left breast

[Tab]

Now I have just watched the opening few minutes of the Film The Guns Of Naverone, every officers in the film was wearing his wings on battle dress jacket over their left breast pocket, this included all the staff officers.

[chunky from york]

Tab,

The Guns of Navarone Is a film and no doubt outfitted by some fairy in Hollywood. Who thought that this was how they would have looked.

Perhaps they were all SOE??

[Rover]

Not sure of the spelling but Antony 'Quayle' who was in one of the Navarone films, Guns of--Return to.

Was the only one who had earned the right to wear his wings on the left breast.

As a member of SOE during the war with a number of operational jumps into Albania.

Rover

[Tab]

If you look at all the films of 1940's era that have Parachute Regiment Officers in them who are out in some thing a bit better than their BD you will notice that they wear there wings over their left breast pocket.
There was a lot of resentment in the Para's till the early 60's as the officers could wear their wings after they left the regiment, all OR had to wear a small brown parachute with out wings at the bottom of the sleve on their right arm. In those days nearly all the soldiers came from other Regiments and if they returned to their regiment they were stripped of their wings.

[chunky from york]

Tab,


Sorry I was being sarcastic You are correct about the very early days, before the 'Parachute Regiment' was formally set up and the wearing of badges formalised.

Just to confuse everybody I note in this years 'Pegasus the Year Book' (page 75) a picture of a 2nd Lt. D. Welsh, who is wearing his parachute wings on his RIGHT breast (the negative is not reversed, as his shirt buttons the correct way).

It is obviously a subject that is far more complicated than it would seem.

Then of course there are the 'Special Forces' wings issued to American Jedburgh teams who did their Parachute training at Ringway

[Tab]

Well chunky it would appear that the Officers [bless em] were as always, a law unto them selfs and stuck their wings over which ever pocket took their fancy. I suppose Lt Walsh may have tried to sew them on looking in a mirror.

[chunky from york]

Tab,


How dare you cast nasturcians about the officer class tee hee tee hee