French Para Badges

[1Perazzi]

Hi does anyone know what kind of French para badge is gold in color with 5 small blue stars under it? I think its a newer badge. Also a para badge that is unmarked and has a safety pin type arrangement on back. To me this one looks a good bit older. Were these ever sandcast like other badges? Are they faked badly? Thanks Mike

[scotty1418]

I believe the one that had Olympic looking rings was some sort of training one.

From what you describe, I would definitely lean towards modern or at least post colonial.

There are a bunch of 'local' badges that are really crummy coming out of Asia I believe - but it's pretty easy to distinguish the quality.

[VALERY226]

Bonjour Mike
The wings with the five blue stars design the Commandos de recherche et d'action en profondeur (CRAP, "Deep Action and Recon Commando") qualification badge. Each regiment of the former 11th Airborne division has a CRAP platoon. Men are HALO qualified and could work at the team level or at the group (Desert Storm, for example).
The CRAP was founded in 1965 as and renamed Commando Parachute Group (French: Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP) in 1999 after lieutenant-colonel Pascal Chapoulaud befriended a US officer who brought the English term to his attention.

Be very careful with french insignias sandcasts, a lot of fakes come from VN since these last years. I'm pretty sure that none ARVN paratrooper spent the CRAP course in France.

Cheers

V

[1Perazzi]

Hi Thanks for your help. The Commando wings are Drago and Paris marked. Nice quality. The other ones are a little lower but price was right anyhow.Thanks Mike

[1Perazzi]

My 1st pic please bear with me

[1Perazzi]

Fake?

[1Perazzi]

Back

[D. Michael Kim]

Mike if you show a full picture of the back of the CRAP wings, we may be able to date by the manufactures marks.
DMK

[1Perazzi]

Hi Heres the back of the wing

[1Perazzi]

Also do you think the other set of wings are fake? thanks Mike