Para wings

[scotty1418]

Hello,

Can you please assist to ID and help determine a date on these wings if possible?

The Lt Colonel (US) who wore them served in ww2, then later postwar in Germany and elsewhere.

Thanks!

[kalamees]

Hi Scotty,
I would think post war but very nice
Nigel

[peter monahan]

Are they not British/Canadian wings? Not that a 'US' colonel couldn't wear them but I would have expecte him to wear US jump wings. Or have I missed something basic?

[Marc Sherriff]

Looks like a British basic parachutists wings (Khaki) possibly WWII and two trimmed SAS parachutists wings with an uncut as issued version, again possibly WWII. A lot of these wings continued to be worn post WWII.

I will now sit back and wait to be corrected.

Marc

[ccfc]

I think the top wing is the standard British WW2 para wings,

The others are post war SAS wings

Lee

[scotty1418]

The solder was later a lieutenant colonel in the US Army involved with the early rocket programs.

I do have photos from the 1950s of him in uniform wearing the SAS(?) qualification wing.

He was also US airborne qualified.

Was it common for US forces to go through British school in the era and obtain their qualification wings?

[Marc Sherriff]

The solder was later a lieutenant colonel in the US Army involved with the early rocket programs.

I do have photos from the 1950s of him in uniform wearing the SAS(?) qualification wing.

He was also US airborne qualified.

Was it common for US forces to go through British school in the era and obtain their qualification wings?

Special Air Service.

Marc

[Bond]

I wonder if the SAS wings are foreign in origin, certainly not a type I recognise as being British made or issued.

[peter616]

nice ww2 SAS and Para wing and look like uk made

[scotty1418]

Thank you for your help.

Please note for all the people messaging me - these are part of a relative's grouping and are not for sale - just trying to get information.

Appreciate all the help!

[irish]

That is great they have a family connection, congrats. Please tell us the background story when you have it pulled together. Looks quite interesting. Jack

[peter monahan]

Scotty, to answer your question, I don't believe it was common for foreign / allied troops to go through British jump school but a colonel may have been allowed to make a qualifying jump to get his Brit jump wings, especially if he were working with a group of mixed nationality. It would improve his 'street cred' with Brit troopers and / or be a nice gesture by colleagues.

So, certainly not unheard of. And if you have a photo of him wearing them he was almost certainly [99%+] entitled. One didn't wear, in those days, quals one wasn't entitled too if for no other reason than because you'd get called on it. 'Oh, where did you train? What class?' etc. Interesting stuff!

[force136]

Ringway

Hi Guys

Actually it was very common for foreigners to go through Ringway. In fact several countries had their own classes there. Canadians were trained at Ringway as well as Czech's, Poles, French and Americans. It all depends on who the Americans were and working for. American Jedburghs and certain staff of SFHQ in London did their jump training at Ringway. There are actually pictures of OSS who trained at Ringway and in North Africa wearing British badges. Most would end up with US types by the end of the war. I know many of these men did not actually wear the badges but because they went through the British program were given the wings as souvenirs as well. All Canadians were given British wings after Ringway even though they were not permitted to wear them. So I guess what I am saying is that it is not unusual for this American to have these wings. I would suspect some Jedburgh or Operational Group connection. US OG's did work closely with SOE and SAS.

Ken

Scotty, to answer your question, I don't believe it was common for foreign / allied troops to go through British jump school but a colonel may have been allowed to make a qualifying jump to get his Brit jump wings, especially if he were working with a group of mixed nationality. It would improve his 'street cred' with Brit troopers and / or be a nice gesture by colleagues.

So, certainly not unheard of. And if you have a photo of him wearing them he was almost certainly [99%+] entitled. One didn't wear, in those days, quals one wasn't entitled too if for no other reason than because you'd get called on it. 'Oh, where did you train? What class?' etc. Interesting stuff!

[peter monahan]

Force 136, thanks for correcting my misinformation!

[scotty1418]

Thanks for the additional information!

I'd love to believe some OSS connection but based on the bio I have compiled so far, I cant imagine it's plausible in this case.

We have a pre-war Illinois Reserves ordnance man who signed up in 1941 pre-Pearl Harbor into the Artillery and became something of a HQ liaison on ordnance issues for the Middle East Command in Cairo in 43/44 before transferring to 1st Army HQ in 43/44 (I assume UK) then some time in France in 44.

I'm not finding any para related activity in his history until stint at Ft. Bragg with the 82nd ABN in 1947-51~ which is where I believe he would have gotten his US qualification. I'm GUESSING the British wings would have come from some related activity...?

Thanks