My thanks go to Edward Corry for tonight’s objects. Insignia of special forces units has always held an allure for certain collectors, with the SAS being perhaps the most famous elite regiment in the world. As befits an elite unit, they have many unique items of military heraldry that are coveted by many but awarded to few. Tonight we are looking at a small selection of these.

Firstly we have the distinctive SAS parachute qualification badge:This badge, embroidered on dark blue felt, was designed by Lieutenant Jock Lewes in World War two and is based upon the ancient Egyptian Ibis wings, which he had observed in the Shepheard’s Hotel, Cairo when stationed there. They were designed to be worn on the right shoulder after qualification- moving to the left breast over any medals after an ‘active service’ jump. These badges remain in use to the present day, with various subtle changes that I must confess rather pass me by. Thanks to the help of a couple of friends and the chaps on the British Badge Forum, the consensus seems to be these are either very late WW2 or immediate post war in date. The back of the badge has had a large safety pin sewn to it, presumably to allow it to be removed for laundering:Accompanying the wings is a pair of captain’s rank slides, embroidered with ‘SAS’:These are each made from a single piece of cloth, with a seam up the back:Again these are hard to date, but others with more expertise than me have suggested they are possibly made in theatre in Malaya, but again these are not easy to date.

The next badge is a World War Two printed Combined Operations Patch, depicting the anchor of the navy, eagle of the air force and Tommy Gun of the army:This badge is made of red cloth, with the design printed over it. The badge was designed by a Lieutenant D A Grant RNVR, who submitted this drawing to the War Office:Again this is an iconic design that has been in use in multiple forms up to the present day. These badges make a nice little set and my intention is to get them framed so I can enjoy them rather than leaving them sat in a drawer.