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The 'juleswings' CollectionThe Indochina Wars

An unidentified French Indochina or 1950’s period Airborne unit badge.

This is an unusual and as yet unidentified early Vietnamese Airborne patch that I have in my collection. It is...
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Medals & AwardsThe 'juleswings' Collection

A WW2 South African Veterinary Corps Medal Group

During a recent visit to my parents in Melbourne, I was given this group which belonged to my father’s uncle,...
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Battlefields & Museums

The Czech Police Museum (Muzeum Policie ČR) – Prague

The Czech Police Museum (Muzeum Policie ČR) is housed in the grounds of a former Augustinian monastery that was founded...
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Battlefields & Museums

The Army Museum of Western Australia Part 1

This is the first of a two part review of the Army Museum of Western Australia. The Army Museum of...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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...
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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...
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Australian Flying Corps (AFC) Australian SASR Vietnam Rhodesian SAS - A couple of the most prized Rhodesian SAS parachutist wings in my collection, these belonging to John “Jock” Hutton (1924–2020) French Indochina Cambodian / Armée Royale Khmère (ARK) / Forces Armées Nationales Khmères (FANK) Signals Insignia in my collection. Inside the Dien Bien Phu Victory Museum. South Vietnam. Studio portrait photo that I picked up in Ho Chi Minh City recently. It features an ARVN soldier wearing tiger stripe camouflage but, I’m unsure of the unit that he belongs to as there are no identifying insignia. The presence of the aiguillette / fourragère on his left shoulder leads me to suspect that he is not from a CIDG, MIKE Force or other PF/RF unit, but I am not certain of this. What do you think, any ideas? Dien Bien Phu. Badges from my French Indochina War collection that represent the units involved in the defence and the French counter attack on Eliane 2 (Hill A1 to the Vietnamese). These are featured on the monument indicating the direction of the French counter attack at the base of the hill. Vietnam. This is a small collection of 1950’s period Forces Armées Vietnamiennes (F.A.V.N) Signals unit badges that I acquired. I’m looking for a two more badges to finish the group, the 7th Vietnamese Signals Company (7e Compagnie de Transmissions Vietnamiennes) and the 4th Military Region Signals School (Centre d’Instruction Technique des Transmissions Régionales No. 4) as shown in the second and third photos. Juleswings Collection

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