Skip to content
  • Insignia Books & References
    • Airborne & Special Operations Insignia Reference Books
  • Links & Resources
  • Multimedia
  • Museums & Collections
  • Video & Multimedia
  • Wanted Items
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Articles – Home
  • About
    • Contact
  • Wanted Items
  • Insignia Books & References
    • Special Ops Insignia
  • Museums & Collections
  • Links & Resources
    • Multimedia
A selection of items related to the initial deployment of 1RAR to South Vietnam from May 1965 until April 1966 when they were attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate). The WW2 era Australian Military Forces lighter which has been modified with the addition of the enameled 173 Abn and Viet Cong badges was issued to Corporal Lex McAulay, who was with 1RAR during this time. Collection: Julian Tennant
The 'juleswings' CollectionThe Indochina Wars

An Australian souvenir from Operation CRIMP, South Vietnam, January 1966.

One of my collecting interests is Australian cigarette lighters from the Vietnam War. In recent years I have tended to...
Read More
InsigniaThe 'juleswings' Collection

The Pioneer Parachute Co. pin. Not a Caterpillar!

The Caterpillar Club, started in 1922 by Leslie Irvin’s Irving Air Chute Company, as a way of recording the names...
Read More
Australian Airborne & Special Operations Unit InsigniaThe 'juleswings' Collection

Australian Airborne Insignia #2. The 6RAR Parachute Company Group

In 1974, the Brisbane based 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) under the command of Lt Col Tony Hammett took...
Read More
African Airborne & Special Operations Unit InsigniaInsigniaThe 'juleswings' Collection

The Southern Rhodesia Commando ‘Cobra’ Qualification badge – 1941 – 45

In 1941, fearing that the Japanese may launch an invasion of southern Africa from Vichy French controlled Madagascar, the OC...
Read More
A handful of the World War 2 British Airborne wings and insignia in my collection. Photo: Julian Tennant
Books & ReferencesInsignia

BOOKS: British Airborne Insignia & Airborne Insignia Volume 2 by Oliver Lock

Airborne insignia provides a popular collecting focus for many collectors and as a result has become a lucrative market for...
Read More
Flatbed scan of my two Caterpillar Club pins. The top example is Soviet bomber pilot, AЕВИНСОН's Switlik badge awarded in 1991 in recognition of a jump made in 1941 and the lower pin is the Irvin Caterpillar Club badge awarded to RAAF pilot, Patrick Heffernan for his emergency descent in November 1943. Collection: Julian Tennant
InsigniaMedals & AwardsThe 'juleswings' Collection

A 1992 issue Switlik Caterpillar Club badge for a WW2 Soviet pilot.

Last week’s post featured the Caterpillar Club badge of RAAF pilot Patrick Heffernan who became member number 16000 of Irvin’s...
Read More
Irvin Caterpillar Club pin presented to RAAF pilot Patrick George Heffernan O.B.E, A.F.C after he made an emergency descent on the 6th of November 1943. The pin measures 20mm long, 4mm wide, has ruby eyes and is engraved "G.C. P.G. HEFFERNAN" on the rear. Collection: Julian Tennant
InsigniaMedals & AwardsThe 'juleswings' Collection

WW2 Caterpillar Club pin to RAAF pilot, Group Captain P.G. Heffernan

The Caterpillar Club began in 1922 shortly after an American aviator, LT H.R. Harris, made an emergency descent using an...
Read More
Unidentified Australian parachute patch. Because of the symbolism used here and also with the early Airborne Platoon crest, I wonder if this badge may have been used unofficially on sports wear, jumpsuits etc by members of the Airborne Platoon at some point from the late 50's through 1960's? I don't know the answer and any additional information is welcomed. Collection: Julian Tennant
Australian Airborne & Special Operations Unit InsigniaInsigniaThe 'juleswings' Collection

Australian Airborne Insignia #1 – Airborne Platoon?

This is the first of an ongoing series of articles which will take a closer look at some of the...
Read More
USN Submariner badge, type 2, "deep wave" variation made by Hillborn & Hamburger Inc. and engraved "To Audrey from Sidney Kelf 11.25.42". Collection: Julian Tennant
InsigniaThe 'juleswings' Collection

WW2 USN Submariner ‘Dolphins’ from an officer aboard USS Skipjack (SS-184)

Another item from my collection this week. This time it is a WW2 USN “deep wave” type 2 Submariner badge...
Read More
Medals, insignia, photographs and documents belonging to Hungarian paratrooper, Császár Vilmos. Collection: Julian Tennant
InsigniaMedals & AwardsThe 'juleswings' Collection

A rare WW2 Hungarian Paratrooper’s medal group

Featured this week is a very nice medal group to a WWII Hungarian paratrooper that I hold in my collection....
Read More
News & Events

Gen. Clarence R. Huebner, CO of the “Big Red One” on D-Day. Medals, militaria, firearms and estate items up for auction. 20 November 2019.

Whilst I am not a medal collector, this auction on the 20th of November 2019 caught my eye. It is...
Read More
Right: The original "Wild Geese" patch sold by Mike and Phyllis Hoare via an advertisement in Soldier of Fortune magazine in 1982. These patches were sold to raise money for his legal bills and are NOT a veterans or mercenary unit patch as is often described. Left: One of the contemporary copies that are being sold to collectors, often with all sorts of outrageous identification descriptions. When compared the differences in detail is obvious. Collection: Julian Tennant.
Insignia

Renowned Congo Mercenary ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare’s Wild Geese Patch

The Wild Geese patch as shown above is often misidentified as being a mercenary or mercenary veteran’s insignia. This is...
Read More
Royal Malaysian Navy Museum (Muzium Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia). Sailor's uniform featuring both the basic parachute and diving qualification badges.
Battlefields & MuseumsField Reports

Malaysia trip report #2 – The Royal Malaysian Navy, Customs and Maritime museums, Melaka

During my first trip to Malaysia I did not leave Kuala Lumpur and whilst I did get to visit the...
Read More
Congo Mercenary. Parachute Regiment and 5 Commando (The Wild Geese) Group to Bill Jacobs. Collection: Julian Tennant
African Airborne & Special Operations Unit InsigniaInsigniaMedals & Awards

Congo Mercenary. British Parachute Regiment & 5 Commando (the Wild Geese) group.

This is part of a larger collection of items belonging to a South African mercenary who served with the British...
Read More
Very rare Australian 'Folboot' collapsible canoe used by Australian Special Forces operatives from Z Special Unit during World War Two. Photo: Julian Tennant
Battlefields & Museums

Merredin Military Museum, Western Australia

Situated approximately 256 km (159 miles) east of Perth and roughly halfway to the goldfields surrounding Kalgoorlie, the town of Merredin was...
Read More
Prague - The Army Museum Žižkov
Battlefields & MuseumsField Reports

Army Museum Žižkov – Prague, Czech Republic

Undoubtably one of the highlights of my trip to Prague in 2015 was visiting the Army Museum Žižkov (Armádní muzeum...
Read More
45678
Hanoi. Today’s discoveries. I decided to explore the streets near one of the army bases to see if I could find any shops selling military stuff. I did end up locating a couple of uniform tailors, although one made it clear that I wasn’t welcome inside. The other was more friendly and we had an interesting conversation through a translator app. They also had some very unusual camouflage fabric available, although not for sale to tourists or non military personnel apparently. Yesterday’s finds whilst walking back from the art gallery. Current People’s Army of Vietnam naval and airforce breast badges. Hanoi day 1 discoveries. I went for a walk shortly after checking into my hotel and decided to see if one of the dealers I knew of was still around. Yes and found these pieces. More expensive than you’d expect to pay in France or on eBay though Vietnam. Detail from a garbage bag full of FAKE patches that were being sold for US$1 each at the War Surplus Market in Ho Chi Minh City circa 2009. A nice surprise arrived in the mail this week from collector Abdul Qadir in Nigeria. It included a selection of badges from Ghana, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. Border Guard Force Unit 1006 was a Myanmar junta-aligned militia in Kokang, a semi-autonomous region bordering China’s Yunnan Province. A ‘Special Forces’ component existed with in BGF 1006 that were used as enforcers for the criminal syndicates controlling the region, it was defeated by the insurgent Three Brotherhood Alliance coalition in 2023. Thai Police parachutist, circa 1953. The photograph depicts a member of an elite Thai police unit initially known as the Airborne Royal Guard, later renamed the Police Aerial Reinforcement Unit (PARU). War Surplus Market in Ho Chi Minh City.

Archives

  • African Airborne & Special Operations Unit Insignia
  • Australian Airborne & Special Operations Unit Insignia
  • Aviator Insignia
  • Battlefields & Museums
  • Books & References
  • Collection Conservation & Care
  • Exhibitions & Displays
  • Field Reports
  • Historical and Archive Material
  • Insignia
  • Juleswings Blog
  • Medals & Awards
  • Military Art
  • News
  • News & Events
  • Special Operations Militaria
  • The 'juleswings' Collection
  • The Indochina Wars
  • Uncategorized

© Julian Tennant (2023) - All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to improve your experience on our website