Firmin Badges

[jarraarra]

hi
does anyone know of a website or any documentation where information can be found on firmin badges. problem is i have a badge which has no stamps and is apparently a firmin badge. the badge in question is a special air service badge made of black anodised metal.

surely there must be information somewhere regarding this badge
appreciate any help
cheers
brian

[max7474]

Firmin is a UK firm still in existance and has been trading for 200 years plus. If the badge was a Firmin badge then it would have Firmin London stamped on the back. Nearly all British anodised aluminium badges have the maker stamp on the sliders except for the very early 1950's designs which can be found blank. The lugged badges (such as Scottish regts) do not often have makers' marks either.

Anodised SAS badges were worn by the Territorial SAS Regiments in the 1960-70s but have subsequently changed to cloth like the regulars.
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Alan

[jarraarra]

Sas Badge

Cheers alan
i have quite a few different types of sas badges, bi metal and various a/a badges stamped with the three makers - firmin-gaunt-london/bham-london badge and button co.
this badge though is doing my head in. it dosent look fake, has a slider and yet its only the same size as an sas collar badge.
what im thinking of now is a collar badge, i found an old colour photo from the 60's/70's of an sas officer wearing what looks like blackened sas collar badges.
ive asked a few mates but they havent seen these before, surely there must be an answer out there somewhere.
cheers
brian

[jarraarra]

Ex SAS GUY

managed to find the picture of the sas guy, not very clear but you can just about make out subdued collar badges
cheers
brian

[jarraarra]

Ex SAS GUY

Picture Attached

[Keith Blakeman]

Picture Attached

Isn't he supposted to have a black rectangle across his eyes?

[jarraarra]

he wasnt issued one

[max7474]

More likely is that he is wearing the uniform of his old regiment before he joined the SAS so those are not SAS badges.

As Officers only serve for one tour before moving on they will retain their parent regts SD and not change the badges or buttons. I have seen several photos of SAS officers at Remembrance Day (note poppy in your photo) and they were in kilts and all sorts but with the SAS beret.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o></o>
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Alan<o></o>

[jarraarra]

cheers alan
would you happen to know anything about this sas badge then, i cant seem to find any information at all, ive triend sending an email to firmin but they must receive emails all of the time, they just dont reply
thanks
brian

[max7474]

My own opinion is that it is an unofficial cap badge - either made for the TA in the 1970s, before they adopted the cloth badge, for wear on exercise or made for collectors. There were numerous museums, regimental outfitters and shops which stocked a/a cap badges directly from the official makers. There used to be a shop in Bulford Garrison run by an old chap which still had old a/a badges in stock right up to 2003 when he retired. He had boxes of Gaunt marked SAS badges, Scots Greys (pre 1968 era) and other old pattern infantry and corps badges that were long since out of production.

I would suspect that it could be a combination of both and originally made for private purchase by TA SAS and then carried on the production run to cater for the collectors market.

Alan<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o></o>

[jarraarra]

thanks very much for the reply alan, youve certainly given me more insight into the badge, hopefully someone whos ex 21 can verify
cheers and all the best
brian