Rank/Trade Badges
 

The photo is of DD Snr on leave sometime during or just after training. I know he was born in Feb 36 and joined as a boy entrant so this would date the photo at about 52/53. He went through Yatesbury and Cosford.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c328a85ac.jpeg


What’s troubling me is what are the badges, why is the single strip upside down, and am I seeing things when I see a slight chequered cap band or is it a trick of the photo/light?

Looks like an Apprentice wheel on his shoulder: so most likely a Corporal Apprentice at Cosford.

Definitely boy entrant insignia, the single stripe denotes junior entry and the hat band is chequered, probably red and white for RAF Cosford.

Hi DD
As wub posted - junior entry stripe.

https://i.imgur.com/J4MDf3z.png

All colours of Apprentice Badges explained.

Jack

... and the 'cap mods' ... slashed peak and bent top ! Presumably, no longer 'in fashion.

During the 1960s the apprentice uniforms at Halton differed from the standard RAF issue in that the apprentice wheel disc and the cap badge on the beret had a coloured plastic disc to denote the Wing, ie yellow for 3 wing, red for 1 Wing and light blue for 2 Wing, similar coloured hat bands on the SD cap denoted the same.