RAF Badge

[Ammersee]

I know this item is pretty common but I thought I'd post it for posterity. My grandfather was in the US Army Air Corps in Africa, Italy, and points beyond.
He was an engine mechanic...a Pratt and Whitney man. When a British plane crash landed at his airfield in Italy and caught fire, my grandfather assisted in getting the crew out of the burning hulk. A grateful British flyer gave him this badge. It's the only British item he brought back and he thought a lot of it. Ammersee

[Ammersee]

Back...

[LuftMike]

A beautifuly worn piece. And the story to go along with it is very touching, and really makes this would-be "ordinary" cap badge a very special piece.

[Haplo]

I agree with Luftmike.
A nice worn badge with some interesting history.
Be carefull with it.

[Jean-Loup]

Interesting, and I love how you can see that the brit must have polished the badge again and again untill he went

[Bill D.]

That's a great little piece of history !

[MH184]

Interesting, and I love how you can see that the brit must have polished the badge again and again untill he went

My Dad informs me it was the 'done thing' but not condoned to wear you cap badge down so it looked alot better polished up being more or less smooth than the leaf pattern.

Before Dad got his commission he actually had to exchange one of his cap badges for this very deed !!!

It's also true to say it could be worn with polishing to such an extent, depends on the hand and vigour and needless to say duration he had the cap badge.

I just usd to Mr. Sheen my cap badge ever once in a blue moon......bugger that Brasso lark lol

A really nice story behind the cap badge, it brings it to life.

Thank you for sharing it with us

Kr

Marcus

[deejay]

Great item, you should tag it and write the story down for future reference as the story is very interesting.

Here is another together with worn buttons also.

The story behind it is it is a WW2 RAF side cap which was distributed for dutch airforce use after WW2 with a worn badge and also worn buttons (at first).

The standard issue dutch airforce uniforms after world war 2 consisted of RAF surplus uniforms including aircraft such as Tiger Moths, Spitfires and Gloster Meteors and some other types.

The RAF standard still forms the style uniforms and traditions as we wear it today. We even use terms today like 'crewroom' and burn the piano's in flight squadrons like the F-16 squadron I am currently in.

[deejay]

Here is another one I have just to show what the polished worn down badge once looked like.

[Ammersee]

Great item, you should tag it and write the story down for future reference as the story is very interesting.

That's a good idea DJ and I think I'll do just that. A small tag with a brief history couldn't hurt. How many times have we bought a medal or badge that was well worn and saw action and we said, "If that medal could only talk." My grandfather is long gone, and I'm the only one left that knows the war stories he told. Ammersee

[Gary Cain]

Very cool indeed!

[Haplo]

My grandfather is long gone, and I'm the only one left that knows the war stories he told. Ammersee

Maybe you should write them down.
Would be a sad thing if those stories would get lost in the future.