Whats the best site for South Vietnamese and Cambodian army stuff

[Bob Chatt]

Over the next few days or so, I will dig through some of my boxes and find some more of these photos. I know we have some with uniforms, painted helmets, etc. I also somewhere have photos of a movie prop house that had some great uniforms and helmets out of Hanoi. Not sure where they are but will find them and post them.

[hochiminhtrail]

thanks for posting BOB

ALEX

[Richard Woods]

For NTS

What a fantastic grouping. The later version of the Presidential Security Group folded into a “divisional” shield shape is especially interesting. The patch was originally circular and worn on the right pocket; that manner of presentation suggests that it was also worn as a shoulder patch. Can you tell us more?

[nguoi tien su]

Yes, thanks for posting!

I agree on all except #990! Bob how can you make out that the stamp was added? No "A", no "Q", all legit. But, OK, I have never seen a green one with that stamp. Still, it looks good on the photo.

Can anyone explain what the differences mean between different coloured ARVN name tapes, regard both the web tape colour and the thread colour used?

SatCong, on the letters for the name, it seems that it really depends on the soldier itself. The most exotic I have is black tape with gold letters.
But if you look carefully at the VNMC nametapes, a lot have the same letter style. Did it also depends on the tailor? I guess so...

Patrick, I will complete the posting of the grouping ASAP (more diplomas, the cap, one medal, the ribbons and one or two photos of the previous owner). I will add the translation very soon as well.
About the lighter, I have had 4 different colors, bleu, green, red and black. This is the first time I get one with a box. The brand is WIN whereas the brand of the pen is Pilot (japan made). I hope it helps.

Spikey, no pb, we come from free countries, don't we?
It's good to share our experiences and our ideas on the subject.

NTS

[nguoi tien su]

The later version of the Presidential Security Group folded into a “divisional” shield shape is especially interesting. The patch was originally circular and worn on the right pocket; that manner of presentation suggests that it was also worn as a shoulder patch. Can you tell us more?

Thanks for your comment and your help you gave me before to identify this one.
No, unfortunately I can not get more info at the moment. The dealer I have bought the grouping from says there are more things to get but that the primo owner, living in the countryside, sells it only little by little as he doesn't need more money at the moment...

The design of the two patches are little different, as you can see. So is the beer can. The material is completely different. This was the first time I could see this patch, I have two round ones, one shaped like the division.


Here is a photo of TS Giang wearing the other version of the guard patch (Bob sells one on his website). The Ranger school beer can is pinned on the pocket, the rubbons I will post in a few days are also on the photo.

I hope I can get one photo with the round patch...

And maybe some people will get less reluctant about things that can be found in VN...

NTS

[Richard Woods]

For NTS again

Fantastic stuff; keep it coming.

RW

[nguoi tien su]

On the Cao Dai topic, I have found that :

Cao Dai followers also came to represent a major political and military bloc in South Vietnam. From 1926 to 1956, the major elements of the Cao Dai armed forces were incorporated into the South Vietnamese army. The strength of the Cao Dai influence in political affairs may also be observed in the composition of the National Congress which was formed in the early 1950s to discuss the terms of a Vietnamese independence treaty with the French. The Cao Dai were awarded 17 seats at this congress, the largest delegation of any of the major politico-religious groups operating in South Vietnam at the time, including the Buddhists and the Catholics.

If the Cao Dai army was incorporated in 1956, it will be very surprising that the badge will be made like the one we know. So once again, it leads me to the conclusion that it is ARMY.
The new ARVN was created in october 1956 as was the VNAF.
But after the incorporation, did the army stand as a batallion, or regiment with very specific badges (into the 7th Inf Div???) or was it like mixte with regular units of the ARVN???
The nightmare continues...

NTS

[Spikey]

Well, as far as the black stamp with no A or Q, why is it that I have never seen it in any headgear in the last 20 or so years but I have seen it lately over the last 1 to 2 years.....if it was a war time stamp you'd have seen it alot more over the years, maybe Bob will agree. I HAVE seen the stamp in fake hats on EBAY with the A and Q....to me, it's a shirt/pants stamp with the A/Q removed. NTS, I'm quite sure it annoys/pisses you off when I doubt that stamp but I go by a "gut" feeling and the fact that stamp seems to be in more than a few fake hats these days. My "Calif. guy" gut feeling has saved me more than once.

[nguoi tien su]

Well...
Just for the info, I have seen it since 1999, first time I came to VN, not only one or two years. And before I was only collecting US stuff. So you will say this guy know nothing, he is a beginner, fair enough...

To enlarge MY gut feeling on this "stamp" question, a theory...
I feel like they are more present on early/very early item. If the theory is correct, this will be quite logical. the Army was small and they might have been able to produce enought for the regulars. One shirt, one stamp, and so on...
Officers would generally turn to tailors.
As the conflict was increasing so was the size of the ARVN. They were not able to produce enought and many contract were passed with the Korean, Japanese and civil tailors. That might explain why you see them less often at the end of the war.
This is a theory, I might be wrong...
So yes, sometimes I get pissed off by people with no doubt attitude... But I can sleep well anyway.

I believe a reason why you get less of these in the US and Europe is precisely because most of them were early war items. I guess people who got resettled in 75 were not carrying their early 60's stuff, weren't they??

If you travel a little bit in VN, you find much more photos of the early 60 than the 70's. Same for the diplomas, etc. There is also a reason to that. This is not a theory, this is what the ex-ARVNs say. If you were retired in 68 for example, you had you stuff at home, dot. If you were still active in 74, 75 you tried to get rid off everything. Guess why...

NTS

[Bob Chatt]

NTS-I believe I have a chart at the office, in one of my file cabinets, that breaks down the VNMC battalion colors on name tags. It is just for the VNMC, but I will try and find it and post it. My one dilema with doing this is that it is unpublished, and hate to give the uniform fakers, in the US & abroad, and steps up and how to put things together.

[nguoi tien su]

Bob,

I perfectly undertand if you don't want to post it although I would love to see it !

NTS

[hochiminhtrail]

well maybe it s better to share it by PM, NTS or Patrick can have copies and if we have questions we can do it by PMs

cheers

alex

[hochiminhtrail]

NTs are you awake ??

[Patrick Dempsey]

Bob,

again thanks for the continued posts on the fake topic.

In your and Spikes experience how have you both seen the quality of fakes improve over the years?

To be more precise, a glance through current "ebay" listing from the usual sellers of fake items shows items of a quality that (i believe) would not trouble those who have posted in this thread.

Sellers such as Nhaydu are a different matter of course.....his game is league above others generally.

Have fakes regressed in some areas yet improved in some over the years do you think?

Regarding the VNMC colours chart, that is a very tough decision, for what it is worth, if the information was ever to be found or published from a different source and was in the public domain, then i would say post it.

As it isn't freely available...i sadly think the negatives outweigh the positives with such useful yet in many ways sensitive information.

I hate to say it, but i think it would be too dangerous at this time to show such detailed material.

Sad...but true.

*sigh*



Patrick.

[Satcong101]

Since I originally posted the question, could I please have a copy Bob?

Special thanks to you all again for the help in answering my query about different coloured thread used for name tapes

Certainly has been enthralling debates on here over the last few days and masses of information and some super rare collectables have been posted. I would like to thank those personally who have taken the time and effort to share these wonderful articles with us. Thanks guys, your number one!