HISTORY OF PARACHUTE WINGS IN THE SADF
- by M. Alexander
World War II and post war years
Approximately 30 officers of the Union Defence Force were seconded to British parachute units during WWll. During the war and in the years that followed, these officers wore the cloth British World War ll version of the paratrooper’s qualification wing on the right upper arm of both Service Dress and Battle Dress. Individuals who had served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and had been dropped behind enemy lines on clandestine missions wore the same wing on the left breast, above their medal ribbons, also on both Service Dress and Battle Dress.
1960-1962
When 15 selected volunteers were sent to the UK in 1960 to train as the nucleus of paratroopers and instructors for South Africa’s own parachute unit, they were also awarded the British parachute wings. The background colour of these differed slightly from those of the WWll. Army members of the contingent were awarded British Army wings, whilst the three Air Force members were awarded the RAF parachute wing with a blue background. These wings were also worn on the right upper arm on both Service Dress and Battle Dress. The SA Army members of the contingent went on to complete the parachute instructor’s course at RAF Abingdon, and were then awarded the RAF parachute instructors half-wing, which were worn on the left breast, also on both Service Dress and Battle Dress. The SA Army parachute instructors wore this wing as well as the basic qualification wing simultaneously. On their return to South Africa, the practice was instituted of transferring the basic qualification wing to the right breast as soon as the wearer had completed 50 jumps. During 1961 the first exclusively South African wings were developed. For the basic qualification wing, a cloth wing of blue and white on a dark brown background was instituted. This wing was worn on both service dress and battle dress, on the right upper arm by those who had qualified as paratroopers, and on the right breast by those with 50 jumps or more jumps. An instructor half-wing was instituted, somewhat larger than the RAF instructors half-wing and this was white on a lighter brown background, with a green wreath around the lower portion of the parachute. This half-wing was worn on the left breast. Initially, instructors wore both wings but in 1962 this practice ceased, and instructors wore only the instructors half-wing. On the introduction of the Dispatchers Course (then called the Assistant Parachute Instructors Course) in 1961, the practice was instituted of transferring a dispatcher’s basic qualification wing to his left breast, thereby indicating his status as aircrew. During 1962 a silver miniature mess dress metal basic qualification wing was introduced, as well as a similar silver miniature mess dress metal parachute instructors half-wing.
1962-1970
Later in 1962 a new metal full-wing in silver, with a dark blue enamelled background was introduced for instructors. This wing had a small scroll below the white parachute with the abbreviation “INSTR” on it. This was worn on the left breast of both service dress and battle dress. On occasion it was also worn on the khaki parachutes smock or on the various other types of unofficial camouflaged and combat dress worn at this time. By 1970 it was also occasionally worn on the new nutria combat dress. In 1963 a miniature mess dress version of this new instructors wing was introduced. In July 1968 a metal basic qualification wing was introduced. It was a bronze-coloured metal, so dark as to appear black, and necessitating vigorous cleaning to bring out the bronze colour. The centre parachute canopy was white enamel, with a blue enamel background between the rigging lines. This wing was worn on the right breast of service dress and battle dress. Shortly afterwards (1969) a similar bronze wing replaced it. This wing was of a softer metal and did not have original black appearance. At the same time a silver metal wing, identical in all other respects, was introduced as a senior qualification. It was worn on the right breast of service and battle dress by those with 50 or more jumps, and on the left breast by those who were dispatchers. The blue and white cloth wing, which had previously been worn, was then worn on the khaki parachute smock, and from 1070, also on the nutria combat dress. In 1969, after the introduction of free-fall training, a senior silver wing and an instructors wing, identical to those already in existence but with a red background between the rigging lines, came into being for award to those who had qualified as free-fallers. These wings were worn exactly as were their static-line equivalents. In 1970 a miniature mess dress wing was introduced for free-fall qualified parachute instructors.
1971-1987
In 1973 a cloth instructor’s wing of embroideredblack and white with a blue oval around the parachute, all on a green background, appeared. A similar cloth wing on a beige background replaced this almost immediately, while a cloth free-fall qualified instructors wing in white, with a red oval and on a brown background also appeared. A smaller cloth free-fall wing, also in white on a brown background appeared at this time, but the actual parachute canopy and rigging lines were embroidered red. This was not an instructor’s wing. All these wings were for wearing on the khaki parachute smock or on the nutria combat dress. However, the following year (1974) an instruction was issued that no wing would be sewn onto or worn on any combat dress or working dress. These wings were therefore worn by very few people, and then for only a very short period. During the early 1970s the static line parachute instructor’s metal wing, which had originally had a dark blue oval, began to appear with a much lighter blue. In 1977 an instruction was issued that all parachute wings would be worn on the left breast only, above the medal ribbons. In 1979 a bronze-coloured metal miniature mess dress basic parachute wing was introduced, and thereafter the silver miniature was worn as a senior wing. About this time a silver metal miniature mess dress wing appeared with a white enamel parachute and blue enamel between the rigging lines. This wing was produced for 2 Parachute Battalion, and was never in general use. Also in 1979, the wearing of cloth parachute wings on nutria combat dress and the new nutria parachute smock was-introduced. Two wings were produced: a basic wing and an instructor’s wing. These were printed in black on a strip of nutria webbing. The scroll below the parachute on the instructor’s wing tools the form of a small rectangle, with no lettering inside it. In 1983 a printed basic parachute wing appeared which Special Forces used. This wing more closely resembled the metal wing than the embroidered cloth wing, but it showed only the two outside rigging lines below the parachute. It was also printed in black on a strip of nutria webbing.
Variants and Prototypes
There are many variants of the above in existence, depending on the manufacturer at the time, as well as what medications may have been made by the wearer. Certain of the metal wings have been produced in different types of metal, and more recently a coated plastic has in some cases replaced the enamelled centre. Some of the earlier coloured cloth wings were dyed green or brown to make them less conspicuous on combat dress, while some of the printed wings were embroidered in black to prevent them fading. In addition, numerous prototypes have been submitted by manufacturers and have been rejected. Although quantities of these prototypes may have been produced, members of the South African Airborne Forces never officially wore them.