Enamel squadron pin / lapel badges...

[You want it when?]

I've got a couple of enamel badges depicting RAF squadron crests (101, and 2 for VIII), they are about an inch long and immaculate. Can anyone tell me the history of these types of badges?

At a guess I would assume that they are wives/partner badges for informal functions? I've also seen them at some air museums with a badge for every squadron.

Don't let me down ppruners...

[John (Gary) Cooper]

As you say mainly worn by the ladies, but I have known lots of bods to wear them as a tie pin under No. 2 Dress, still have one somewhere for 201 Squadron. :ugh:

[jimgriff]

You can buy these to this day at places like Cosford and Hendon (Museums) and are about £3 each....Most Sqdn PR officers will usually have a small stash somwhere too.

[Beeayeate]

They are definitely not just for the ladies, I have one for each of the sqns I was on and wear the 3 Sqn lapel badge every day.

As John says, we used to wear them on our service ties - with the attachment pin clasp locked solid using a pair of needle nose pliars - even in shirt-sleeve order. Was interesting when visiting other stations/bases to note that other sqns did this as well.

When I was "in", such lapel badges were generally on sale at either the sqn concerned or in the camp's NAAFI (or Malcolm Club). Alongside these were also the lapel badges for the ladies, generally jewelled wings with the RAF crest centred, sqn, base and RAF ties, cufflinks, etc. Nowadays there is an increasing demand for such things from the older ex-RAF types and Sqn Associations.

RAF Hendon (and Cosford) sell these lapel badges but will not get replacments if your sqn isn't in stock due to the cost of mnftr against their projected sales. A year or so back I tried to get the sqn lapel badge of one of my old sqns from Hendon and was told they wouldn't be re-stocking that sqn as there was no demand, also that they had told the previous twenty-odd inquirers this as well! :hmm: Anyway, I teased out of them the name of the mnftr (in Birmingham), phoned him and had a special order (placed via Hendon's Chief Buyer) of 25 (min) produced at a £4.50 each. Sold half of them to ex-sqn mates and donated the balance to the actual (current) sqn.

Personally I think that when worn they show you have pride in your past service. Hope you manage to move yours on to people who want them. :ok:

[You want it when?]

Cheers Beeayeate, that explains the navigators diamond pin as well. As for moving the badges on - if any one wants one of the VIII squadron badges and has a reasonable excuse for wanting it then they can PM me. Otherwise I will keep the other two in memory of YWIW senior.