Can anyone ID this special service badge?

Hi Can anyone ID this unsual badge? It looks like it has a link to No 2 commando and it appears not to be a sweetheart brooch?

Cheers,

JB

JB wrote:Hi Can anyone ID this unsual badge? It looks like it has a link to No 2 commando and it appears not to be a sweetheart brooch?

Cheers,

JB

Hi JB,

This is definitely a cap badge and, although I can see why it could be thought to be linked to No2 Cdo, I don't think it is.

I don't think it's of that era and I don't think it's British - of course I may be wrong on all counts...

Nick

Hi Nick, I am quite sure it is British as special service with dagger and SS typically refers to the early army commandos. You will note the no 2 commando officers badge and sleeve patch which have a dagger with SS,As to what it and what era I have no clue as yet. Cheers JB

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/09/2011 09:59:56

Hi JB

My father and uncle were both in No.2 Cdo from its formation ( and before in the Independent Companies) till its disbandment, and I have never seen one of these before. Also in the 595 photos of Commandos from No.2 that we have in our gallery not one shows this badge. However I am checking with 2 Cdo Veterans still with us

I am assuming that you have checked on sites such as The British and Commonwealth Badges Forum

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/

Regards

Pete

This message was edited 6 times. Last update was at 14/09/2011 12:02:40

Hi again JB

I have just checked that website and see there is forum post on there as well. I tend to agree with the comment that it is a post war security company of some kind especially with the chrome of the badge. The S on the end of Services tends to point that way as well in my opinion. For short periods there were Special Service Battalions and later Special Service Brigades. The only 'Commando Association' Badge that was used by members post war to my knowledge were these 2, the latter with the word Commando over the top often being confused with the real thing.

There must be hundreds of security company badges in the US with Special Services or similar on there.

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1353787

A further thought is that it may not be a dagger at all...it may be a sword . However one never really knows !!

As to a comment on there about the badge having some significance to St Nazaire and the demolition parties, I would say that can be discounted as there were at least 2 demolition parties that I know of which consisted of No.2 Commandos and one was my father's.

Could a rich officer in No2 have had it done specially? it really is intriguing

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/09/2011 23:51:23

One of my former collegues is, in my opinion, an expert in badges. He has looked at the badge and has come to the conclusion that it is not an original one from the war. He motivates his conclusion by saying that the eyelets through which the copper pin goes, should be copper as well as all bagdes from the war had those copper eyeslets (or what their name is!). Besides that, the metal is much too glistering to say that it is an old one.

Besides that: isn't it so that they spoke of Special Service during the war and not of Special Services as is shown on the badge?

well spotted Jack

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 21/09/2011 10:45:43

Pete - The intention of the posting on the British and Commonwealth Military Badge Forum was to anticipate any thoughts of a heraldic link to the perimeter guard role of No2 (through depicting a chain in the design) and suggest such thoughts would appear fanciful. Sorry if that was not clear. I can not recall any records or images of Chrome badges being worn contemporaneously by Commandos.

Jack - With regard to lug fastenings etc - there are examples of Chromed badges being worn by non-Commando units, for example - by units attached to the Royal Armoured Corps. In these instances the lugs (or more common 'slider' attachments) are indeed chromed as both the back and front of standard cap badges were subject to the Chrome process.

This is slightly irrelevant in the context of this oddity, which does appear to plagiarise No2 insignia at its centre. I would agree with views that it is connected with post war security company rather than having Commando affiliations. The words Special Services (as opposed to Special Service) further diminish Commando links - as I also posted on the British and Commonwealth Badge Forum and share here.

Regards Mike

No problems Mike. I think it was Jack that posted about the lugs. My knowledge of badges is very limited indeed and welcome suggestions from those in the know.

Additionally this badge has been seen now by four Army Commando Veterans, two of them from No.2 Commando, and none of them has ever seen it before

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 21/09/2011 10:47:33

I am full of apologies today - you are quite right I meant to address the lugs message to Jack (now amended). Regards Mike

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 23/10/2011 09:41:13

Thanks everybody in fact I also commented on the thread on BBCF forum and was offering the owner of the badge to put a request on the CVA forum. In conclusion the odds that this is a badge linked to the army commandos are extremely low. Cheers, JB