Vintage Flying Helmets
Aviation, Military & Historical Items for Discerning Collectors
Insignia / Medals / Badges - British & Commonwealth
(click on pictures to enlarge)
RAF pilot wing badge, heavily padded.
Lovely mid-wartime RAF pilot's wing badge, cream silk embroidered wings, cipher and crown with light brown wreath, on a dark blue/black wool background, very heavily padded with an oilcloth backing material.
$100 / £75 / €88
 RAF pilot wing badge, heavily padded |  RAF pilot wing badge, heavily padded |
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RNZAF other ranks cap badge.
The rarest of the Commonwealth cap badges, simply because the RNZAF was a small air force by comparison to the others. The cipher comprises the letters R-N-Z-A-F inside the traditional wreath surmounted by a crown, all dye struck in brass. Lug back and cotter pin included.
$40 / £30 / €35
 RNZAF other ranks cap badge |  RNZAF other ranks cap badge |
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Very early RAF bronzed cap badge with a slider back.
Very rare, very early WWI RAF cap badge, bronze finish in the style of the officer's RFC cap badge but with the RAF cypher and with a slider back. Not sure if this was made in anticipation of the new Royal Air Force adopting the same officer's cap badge as the RFC or if perhaps it was a trial badge, but it is an interesting hybrid which, as far as I am able to tell, was never officially adopted. Beautiful, crisp detail. The slider back is another anomaly—the only example on a RAF cap badge I have ever come across.
$100 / £75 / €88
 Very early RAF bronzed cap badge with a slider back. |  Very early RAF bronzed cap badge with a slider back. |
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WWI Royal Flying Corps officer's cap badge converted to pin-back .
Excellent, crisp RFC offcer's cap badge, retaining its bronzed finish over brass. The usual lugs (or slider back) have either been removed or were never attached and instead this has a pin back. Whether this was done to be worn as a sweetheart brooch, or simply as an alternative fastening we shall never know. Lovely, text book example.
$45 / £35 / €40
 WWI Royal Flying Corps officer's cap badge converted to pin-back |  WWI Royal Flying Corps officer's cap badge converted to pin-back |
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RAF other ranks embroidered VR tabs for the tropical uniform, matched pair.
A matched pair of VR embroidered insignia for other ranks, specifically for the tropical KD or bush jacket. Not a common badge at all and to find a nice matching pair is quite unusual.
$25 / £18 / €22
 RAF other ranks VR tabs for the tropical uniform, matched pair |  RAF other ranks VR tabs for the tropical uniform, matched pair |
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Lovely honest, well-worn set of RAF pilot wings.
Beautiful silk embroidered pilot wing, cream silk wings and crown with a rich brown wreath, on a dark blue wool background. This was clearly sewn on and obviously saw some use! It has been trimmed very close to wings - a common practice - with parts of the wool background worn away (or possibly nipped by insects). Wing still displays very nicely.
$50 / £40 / €44
 Lovely honest, well-worn set of RAF pilot wings |  Lovely honest, well-worn set of RAF pilot wings |
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RAAF service dress uniform sleeve eagle insignia, matching pair.
Excellent matching pair (left and right) of blackened brass RAAF sleeve eagles as worn on the dark blue service dress uniform, above the rank lace. Eagles faced rear, hence both face in opposite directions. Complete with backing plates and screw fixings. Lovely detail. 1.5" across (37mm).
$50 / £37 / €45
 RAAF service dress uniform sleeve eagle insignia, matching pair. |  RAAF service dress uniform sleeve eagle insignia, matching pair. |
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 RAAF service dress uniform sleeve eagle insignia, matching pair. |
New Zealand forces cap badge, gilt on brass fern leaf.
Excellent wartime New Zealand side cap or beret badge featuring a fern leaf with the initials NZ. Gilt on brass with lug back. 1.75" across (44mm).
$25 / £20 / €22
 New Zealand forces cap badge, gilt on brass fern leaf. |  New Zealand forces cap badge, gilt on brass fern leaf. |
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Royal Flying Corps other ranks cap badge.
Excellent, crisp example of the RFC cap badge worn by other ranks in brass finish. Unlike many, it has not been polished "smooth" but retains its finely struck details.
$40 / £30 / €35
 Royal Flying Corps other ranks cap badge |
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 Royal Flying Corps other ranks cap badge |
WWII Royal Navy officer's cap badge and mohair cap band.
Lovely weathered and salty example of a Royal Navy officer's cap badge, still firmly attached to its mohair wool band. Badge is complete with heavily padded velvet crown and silver fouled anchor, and in overall great condition, but the bullion wire shows the tell-tale signs of years in the salt air with tarnish, oxidation and discolouration. THe mohair band is excellent with no mothing or snags that I can see. This same badge was worn by officers of all branches of the Royal Navy, including the the Fleet Air Arm and Volunteer Reserves (Wavy Navy). If only it could talk!
$50 / £38 / €45
 WWII Royal Navy officer's cap badge and mohair cap band |  WWII Royal Navy officer's cap badge and mohair cap band |
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 WWII Royal Navy officer's cap badge and mohair cap band |
WWII Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm officer's flight observer badge.
Lovely, heavily padded wartime brevet for a flight observer (officer) in the Fleet Air Arm. This badge was sewn to the left sleeve of the service dress jacket or above the left breast pocket on the working dress blouse (battledress). Gold and silver bullion wire with red velvet padded crown (now slightly faded), red and blue silk "jewels" and silver anchor, all on a black wool background with oiled cotton backing.
$115 / £85 / €100
 WWII Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm officer's flight observer badge |  WWII Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm officer's flight observer badge |
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Royal Navy VR (Wavy Navy) Aviation branch shoulder boards (epaulettes) for rank of Sub Lieutenant.
Scarce matching pair of epaulettes for a Sub Lieutenant in the Volunteer Reserve "wavy navy" air branch of the Fleet Air Arm. These would be the perfect accessory for the above officer's working dress blouse. Gold braid rank lace in a square curl around a gold wire embroidered letter "A" on dark blue wool, stiffened and with a black leather backing. The FAA was a small air force and these rank boards are quite difficult to source.
$85 / £65 / €80
 Royal Navy VR Aviation branch shoulder boards (epaulettes) for rank of Sub Lieutenant |  Royal Navy VR Aviation branch shoulder boards (epaulettes) for rank of Sub Lieutenant |
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Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot's badge with added pin-back - missing the anchor.
Fleet Air Arm pilot badge: gold wire embroidered wings either side of a silver and gold King's Crown padded with red velvet and surmounting a gold wreath and what should be a fouled silver anchor. The anchor is absent - which might be put down to carelessness, except I have seen at least a dozen similar wings in several years of collecting. I wonder if the removal of the anchor was in some way symbolic? They were very securely sewn on with silver wire and cannot just "fall off." A mystery still to be solved - and in all other respects a lovely badge.
$55 / £45 / €50
 Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot's badge with added pin-back - missing the anchor. |  Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm pilot's badge with added pin-back - missing the anchor. |
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Excellent padded RAF Bomb Aimer brevet / half-wing.
Lovely wartime RAF Bomb Aimer brevet. Cream and orangey brown silk embroidered on a wool background, well padded with a black oiled cotton backing. Never been sewn on - hard to find a better example!
$50 / £40 / €48
email to secure this item
 Excellent padded RAF Bomb Aimer brevet / half-wing. |  Excellent padded RAF Bomb Aimer brevet / half-wing. |
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Cold War era RAF corporal rank brassard (armband).
Worn during the summer and in hot climates where "shirt-sleeve order" was observed. These were usually worn only on the right sleeve. RAF blue cotton, lined with blue cotton and with a standard corporal's stripes sewn on. Fitted with variable position brass Newey press studs / snaps as used in the war, suggesting this may be an early postwar example. There is an official inspector's stamp on the inside in purple (difficult to read).
$35 / £28 / €32
 Cold War era RAF corporal rank brassard (armband |  Cold War era RAF corporal rank brassard (armband |
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 Cold War era RAF corporal rank brassard (armband |  Cold War era RAF corporal rank brassard (armband |
Superb hand-painted WWII South African Air Force patriotic badge/button made from "stinkwood".
Lovely South African patriotic brooch/button made from "Genuine Stinkwood". African Stinkwood is one of the more enduring and popular woods for making furniture — though named for the odour it gives off when freshly cut. This domed brooch measures 1.75" (45mm) in diameter and features a superbly detailed, hand-painted full colour rendition of the SAAF cap badge. At first I thought this was a decal - but it is actually superbly hand-painted. An absolutely lovely, one of a kind piece.
$60 / £48 / €58
 WWII South African Air Force patriotic badge/button made from "stinkwood" |  WWII South African Air Force patriotic badge/button made from "stinkwood" |
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8 matching pairs of RAF officers' greatcoat or battledress epaulettes / shoulder straps.
8 matching pairs of RAF greatcoat/battledress epaulettes all in excellent condition. All but two pairs are the button/strap on type (one Flt/Lt. lacks its backing strap) and two are sew-in type (Air Commodore and P/O) most commonly found on battledress. All together for one low price.
$125 / £100 / €120
 8 matching pairs of RAF officers' greatcoat epaulettes |  8 matching pairs of RAF officers' greatcoat epaulettes |
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Canadian made RCAF Air Gunner half wing / brevet.
Excellent example of the Canadian made Air Gunner brevet, the style with the slightly upturned wing. Evidence of having been sewn on a uniform but very clean condition.
$50 / £40 / €48
 Canadian made RCAF Air Gunner half wing / brevet |  Canadian made RCAF Air Gunner half wing / brevet |
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Early wartime RAF officer's "CANADA" shoulder titles.
Prior to the official involvement of the RCAF in WWII, Canadian citizens who joined up with the RAF proudly wore shoulder nationality titles . Officers notably wore titles embroidered in light blue or cream on blue grey wool, while other ranks wore titles with a dark blue or black background. This is a lovely example of a near perfectly matched pair of early hand sewn officer's CANADA titles on blue grey wool. Clearly these have been sewn on a uniform but remain in very good condition.
$40 / £30 / €38
 RAF officer's "CANADA" shoulder titles |  RAF officer's "CANADA" shoulder titles |
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RAF tropical rank slides for a corporal.
Supplies of rank insignia were not always readily available in remote areas, and field promotions were common. This is a great example of how a newly-promoted NCO might improvise his rank insignia! Full size corporal stripes have been shortened to fit on an improvised canvas slide for the epaulettes/straps on a KD or bush jacket. A unusual, possibly unique modification, definitely non-regulation! Show honest use.
$45 / £35 / €42
 RAF tropical rank slides for a corporal |  RAF tropical rank slides for a corporal |
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RAF sergeant's stripes, closely matching pair.
Original wartime period sergeant stripes are becoming quite difficult to source these days, and this is a very good example of a closely matching pair, showing use (have been sewn on) but still in very good condition.
$60 / £45 / €55
 RAF sergeant's stripes, closely matching pair |  RAF sergeant's stripes, closely matching pair |
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Nice padded wartime RAF Bomb Aimer brevet.
Lovely clean, unworn wartime era Bomb Aimer qualification badge. Classic British made style with an orangey/rust coloured wreath and bold "B" on a wool background, heavily padded with a black oilcloth backing.
$48 / £35 / €42
 Nice padded wartime RAF Bomb Aimer brevet |  Nice padded wartime RAF Bomb Aimer brevet |
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WWII South African Air Force collar device (single).
Beautiful, crisp gilt finished South African Air Force collar device - identical to the cap badge but smaller. Lug back with cotter pin.
$20 / £15 / €18
 South African Air Force collar device (single) |  South African Air Force collar device (single) |
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Original wartime RCAF curved wing Navigator brevet.
Very clean, previously sewn-on example of the curved wing "half-wing" navigator brevet. On a wool background with a tiny nick out of the wool at the curve. Lovely wartime piece.
$50 / £40 / €48
 Original wartime RCAF curved wing Navigator brevet |
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 Original wartime RCAF curved wing Navigator brevet |
Original Wartime RCAF Air Gunner straight wing brevet.
Very clean, previously sewn-on example of the straight edged "half-wing" Air Gunner brevet. On a wool background in excellent condition. Lovely wartime piece.
$50 / £40 / €48
 Original Wartime RCAF Air Gunner brevet |
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 Original Wartime RCAF Air Gunner brevet |
RAF mother-of-pearl sweetheart pilot wing brooch "Mother".
Absolutely lovely hand-made brooch measuring 2.5" (6cm) from wingtip to wingtip. Made from carved from mother-of-pearl, with the word "Mother" in gold wire to the front. Pin back fastening. The workmanship is quite amazing - the word "Mother" and the pin and catch on the back all being made out of one continuous piece of wire which threads through tiny drilled holes in the mother-of-pearl. Quite a unique example.
$75 / £60 / €70
 RAF pilot wing brooch "Mother" |
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 RAF pilot wing brooch "Mother" |
Handmade RAF aircrew "sweetheart" badge made from aircraft canopy Perspex and a gilt uniform button.
Superbly made example of a RAF brevet "sweetheart" badge made from a piece of aircraft canopy Perspex, inlaid with the eagle and crown carefully cut from a RAF uniform button. Aircrews often spent much of thir "downtime" cutting, carving and polishing these souvenirs. Some are better than others and this particular one is a real beauty, in excellent condition. Exact same size as the embroidered brevet, 3" (7.5cm) across.
$40 / £33 / €38
 RAF aircrew sweetheart brooch made from aircraft perspex |  RAF aircrew sweetheart brooch made from aircraft perspex |
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WWII RAF pilot wing "sweetheart" brooch made from 925 silver.
Lovely, highly detailed pilot's wing badge made from 925 silver (marked 925). Measures
2-3/8" (6cm) across with a good pin back. Lovely example.
$60 / £48 / €55
 RAF sweetheart pilot wing in 925 silver |  RAF sweetheart pilot wing in 925 silver |
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RCAF cadet collar badges, left and right.
Beautiful matching pair (left and right facing eagles) of Air Cadets Canada collar badges, gilt on brass with lug backs. 1-5/8" (40mm) across. Excellent condition, unknown age but not modern "stay bright" - I would guess 1950-1970.
$30 / £25 / €28
 RCAF Air Cadet collar badges, matched pair, left and right |  RCAF Air Cadet collar badges, matched pair, left and right |
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Royal Flying Corps sweetheart brooch in gilt.
First Word War sweetheart pins, especially RFC pilot wings, are quite scarce, and this is a lovely example of an early RFC sweetheart brooch, depicting the RFC cipher with "bat wing" style wings, highly detailed feathering in a nice gilt on brass construction. The pin itself has broken, just in front of the hinge, but could be restored easily, if desired. The badge has some surface wear to the gilt finish but is a beautiful and quite rare variation. 1.5" (38mm).
$45 / £36 / €42
 RFC gilt sweetheart pilot wing brooch |  RFC gilt sweetheart pilot wing brooch |
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Royal Flying Corps "swagger" stick top/finial.
The second of four from a collection of these interesting items. Back the days of the Great War, every Army officer carried a "swagger" stick or cane and most had it topped with their regimental crest. This is a beautiful example of one which belonged to a Royal Flying Corps pilot, because it features not just the RFC crest, but a beautiful and deeply embossed stylized pilot wing. The detail on the feathering is just exquisite. Most likely silver but not marked as such, the cane is long since detached but this could easily be remounted to a new one. Approximately 2.5" high. Gorgeous testimony to a long dead tradition and a brave pilot. This one still has the top of the cane inside.
$55 / £45 / €50
 RFC "swagger" stick, silver finial |  RFC "swagger" stick, silver finial |
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 RFC "swagger" stick, silver finial |  RFC "swagger" stick, silver finial |
Royal Navy officer's cap badge and mohair band.
Nice early wartime Royal Navy officer's cap badge, complete with its mohair band. Heavily padded bullion embroidered badge shows lots of honest use, the red crown slightly faded, but lovely patina to the gold and silver wire and no damage, other than the mohair band has frayed and separated where it was sewn to the badge (easily restored).
$50 / £40 / €45
 RN officer's cap badge with mohair band |  RN officer's cap badge with mohair band |
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 RN officer's cap badge with mohair band |
Royal Flying Corps "sweetheart" brooch made from a RFC uniform button.
Lovely, simple "sweetheart" brooch, most likely made in the field by an enlisted man for his wife, mother or girlfriend. Comprises a single small (pocket) size brass uniform button attached to a brass pin. 2" across. Excellent condition and a great addition to any "sweetheart" pin collection.
$45 / £35 / €42
 RFC sweetheart brooch from button |  RFC sweetheart brooch from button |
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Lovely pair of early post war RAF mess dress epaulettes for a Squadron Leader.
Interesting and scarce pair of epaulettes for the RAF mess dress jacket, from the early 1950s. Superb quality fine melton wool with gold braid and bullion embroidered wings and crown with red velvet padded Queen's crown. White leather backing is gold foil stamped with Gieves maker mark and "By appointment to His Majesty the King" with the royal seal of King George VI. Excellent condition and lovely to see the crossover era where both the King's and Queen's crown appear on the same item.
$40 / £35 / €38
 RAF officer's full dress epaulettes |  RAF officer's full dress epaulettes |
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 RAF officer's full dress epaulettes |
RCAF ops wing indicating a completed tour of duty, converted to pin-back.
Lovely example of the RCAF ops wing, by Birks, in Sterling Silver with a gold wash or plating. Most have the gold finish worn away, but this retains its nice gilt finish. It has has been modified by a jeweller by removing the screw posts on the back and replacing them with a gold pin fastening. Unfortunately the pin is now broken and missing, but could be easily replaced by a jeweller. Unfortunately no history, but it is a lovely original example.
$75 / £65 / €72
 RCAF ops wing badge, converted to pin back |  RCAF ops wing badge, converted to pin back |
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Lovely Kings Crown RAF Warrant Officer's cap badge by Ludlow of London.
Nice early full-size Warrant Officer's cap badge by Ludlow. Has the hand painted space between crown and eagle and the separate insert of red behind the crown. Exquisite detail on the gilt. Lug back and in great condition.
$50 / £48 / €52
 RAF W/O gilt cap badge |  RAF W/O gilt cap badge |
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 RAF W/O gilt cap badge |
Single wartime RAF shoulder title "Canada".
Worn on both shoulders of Canadian personnel serving oversea (other ranks), light blue embroidered on a dark blue/black wool background. Single only.
$15 / £12 / €14
 WWII Canada shoulder tab (single) |  WWII Canada shoulder tab (single) |
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RAF signaller half-wing brevet.
Very nice padded example of the signaller's qualification badge on fine wool background, with oilcloth backing. Has been sewn on and removed from uniform.
$55 / £48 / €55
 RAF signaller half-wing brevet |  RAF signaller half-wing brevet |
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Scarce 1935 National League of Airmen membership badge.
The National League of Airmen was founded in 1935, at a time when Britain was politically divided between further disarmament and increasing military strength. The NLA was an ultra-conservative right wing "club" which recruited members from within the RAF and civilian aviation community with a view to fostering the belief that Britain must expand the RAF, develop greater air power and budget for more modern aircraft in order to improve national security. As it turned out, the threat from Nazi Germany forced the issue so the organization did not exist for very long. This lapel badge, which measures 1.25" x 0.875" (30mm x 22mm) is in very good condition with all its blue enamel intact. Maker marked Caxton Nameplate Mfg. London, which seems to be a scarce manufacturer.
$45 / £38 / €45
 1920s National League of Airmen badge |  1920s National League of Airmen badge |
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 1920s National League of Airmen badge |
RAAF Observer half wing brevet.
Wartime Royal Australian Air Force qualification badges are among the more difficult to find, and this is a lovely original example of the wartime RAAF Observer badge. It differed completely from the RAF issue by being standardized into the same pattern as all other RAAF aircrew brevets - the "O" inside a blue wreath alongside a detached "half" wing. Off white silk on a padded dark blue wool background, black cotton backing. Slight glue residue on the back.
$120 / £100 / €118
 RAAF flight observer brevet / half wing |  RAAF flight observer brevet / half wing |
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WWI or early 1920s RAF "Sweetheart" or lapel badge.
WWI or early 1920s RAF "Sweetheart" or lapel badge. One piece gilt on brass eagle and crown with R•A•F beneath. This same style was previously made with the letters R•N•A•S but presumably updated following the amalgamation of the RNAS and RFC into the RAF in April 1918. 2.25" (57mm) across with lugs to back. Excellent condition.
$35 / £25 / €30
 RAF sweetheart badge with lug back |  RAF sweetheart badge with lug back |
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Wartime flight engineer half-wing brevet.
Nice flat wartime example of the brevet awarded to flight engineers – a silk embroidered E within a brown wreath and a "half" or single wing. Excellent condition - has been glued into an album and still has a small piece of green paper glued to back.
$50 / £38 / €45
 RAF Flight Engineer (E) brevet / half-wing |  RAF Flight Engineer (E) brevet / half-wing |
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WWII Royal Navy Petty Officer's cap badge.
Lovely example of a Royal Navy Petty Officer's cap badge as worn on the everyday service dress uniform; red silk embroidered on a wool background with a stiffener and an oilcloth backing. Excellent condition. Badge was the same for all branches of the Royal Navy, so would be worn by Fleet Air Arm, submarine crews and everyone in between.
$20 / £15 / €18 email to secure this item
 RN Petty Officer's cap badge |
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 RN Petty Officer's cap badge |
Sample set of 3 RCAF uniform buttons.
Lovely set of unused RCAF uniform buttons, one in each of the sizes made (large for tunic, medium for pocket and small for cap). Attached to a piece of cardboard and bound at the back with wire. Perhaps a salesman's sample or collected during the war, but crisp as the day they were made (if somewhat dull and tarnished - I have left them as is, it's up to the new owner to polish if desired). Can't tell the maker without removing from card which i do not want to do.
$20 / £15 / €17 email to secure this item
 RCAF sample buttons on card |
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 RCAF sample buttons on cardDSCN3896 |
 RCAF sample buttons on card |