Combined Operations Patch - Info please

[yellow]

I just pulled this out of my patch box. Can anyone date this printed patch for me? Is it a general issue patch or a pattern attributed to a partcular branch of Combined Ops?



Thanks,

Steve.

[leigh kitchen]

Presumably cWWII - 1950's, I'm having a senior moment, but as I recall this is the naval version, the round version being used by RM. The explanations that I've heard are that the round ones were cut down from the naval tomb stones.

[Jim Maclean]

I have to disagree with Royal Navy on this one. Battledress was not a RN thing and for the few that wore it would not be worth printing badges that were available embroidered.

This is my step Father, the Combined ops badge is embroidered, not conclusive, but I've yet to see red on blue printed badges worn in the Navy, blue on white yes.

[leigh kitchen]

Printed badges were Ordnance issue, so Id've thought they'd be worn by navy as well as other services. The tomb stone's a naval style patch although also worn by the RM as a "shape" for patches, but the RM wore the Combined Ops cut down to circular shape.

Was Combined Ops formed in 1941?
I was looking at an uncut pair of printed Combined Ops tomb stones yesterday afternoon - seemed a little flimsy to me, 'tho the dealer thought they were okay.

[yellow]

Thanks for your help chaps.

I found this web site with a page dedicated to this patch...

http://www.combinedops.com/INSIGNIA%...%20of%20Badges

According to this web site only 5000 pairs of my badge were made.

The examples I see most often are embroidered......I tend to shy away from these as I can remember the millions of repros in the 1980's.....or were they.....

About two decades ago there was a big debate amoungst badge collectors where all this mint Commando Insignia had come from. I was told that the MOD had a very large store which they sold off. Can anyone confirm this tale?

Steve.

[Jim Maclean]

The Supply Depot at Ernesettle outside Plymouth was closed I believe in the late 70s, no doubt a few others closed around the same time.

Interestingly the RN wore the Combined Ops badge singly on the right cuff, I would imagine, in common with other badges they would be issued singly.

[Paul B]

My Grandad (RN) wore the enbroidered Combined Ops flashes on his battledress blouse during WWII. All the Naval personnel he recalls wore theirs in the uncut fashion -with the exception of "W" Beach Commando (Canadians), who cut theirs into the round shape- and sometimes they were issued singly, that is trade badge on one arm, Combined Ops flash on the other. He also recalls Para qualification wings being worn on the cuff of the Navy jumper in a similar way to Fleet Air Arm wings, but worn in conventional style on the sleeve of the battledress.

He doesn't recall the printed version (....although to be fair, he had other things on his mind at the time....) but does remember one of his mates attempting to order a bullion woven version (gold on blue) from the military tailors Austen Reed! Imagine the confusion that would cause today...

Cheers

Paul.

[leigh kitchen]

My printed Combined Ops, the material is quite stiff.

[leigh kitchen]

.

[Marc Sherriff]

I am told that this (post 8) is one of the more well known fakes.

[leigh kitchen]

Oh dear, I am surprised - & here's me thinking that it looks, feels & smells right. Do we have any further info on this particular example of fakery?

[leigh kitchen]

This embroiderd pair came with a collection of WWII & 1950's patches that I got during the early 80's, I've always thought that they're iffy, as mentioned already in this thread, there seemed to be a glut of embroidered Combined Ops around then.

[leigh kitchen]

& the reverses.......

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Cloth Combind Ops Badges

HIYA LEIGH ,
sorry mate , this time i will state for fact that the printed combind ops badge that you have shown is a copy , the problem with these is that several years back a well known U.K dealer published a book on SPECIAL FORCES insignia and used a badge like yours to illustrate a war time example and many collectors and dealers took this as gospel , strange , but at the time of the book being published , a large batch of these badges appeared at the arms fairs going under the titles of them being " just released from goverment stock " ....has puzzled me for a while the coincidence in this ??

if you are after an original felt /cloth COMBIND OPS badge the ones to get that you know will be dead right are the ones with the glue wash backing , this was an economy measure due to war time restrictions instead of backing the badge with cloth , or musslin , a glue type of dope was painted over the rear of the cloth ( i will post an example ) to seal it , with a bit of practice you will soon pick up the idea , fakers have tried to reproduce this but they cant get it right ( as yet ) i dont want to state here what they are missing , the thing is to try an pick up a few common badges for a couple of quid as a guide both the "TT " and " H.D " div signs were made in this style and are a good indication ,the one down side to this badge is the moths love erm !!! ,can be hrad to get a good example , best wishes Michael.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Who would have worn this one in bullion?