Ex Paras take note

**davejb** · 07-30-2010, 09:15 PM

Well the patch isnt one of the recognised ones used, either 1 2 or 3 para and according to my pal who was 3 para early seventies to early eighties, hes never seen or heard of one, it certainly isnt 10 para or id recognise it, unless its another rgt with airborne ties, but i cant think of one at the moment, ill ask my brother in law, it could be falklands related

**davejb** · 07-30-2010, 10:39 PM

Spoke with the BIL, Theres no such patch that he knows of within any airbourne units in this country , regs or ta or other associated rgts that are para qualified. This is a bit of a mystery

**Blackpowder44** · 07-31-2010, 09:47 AM

by davejb

Spoke with the BIL, Theres no such patch that he knows of within any airbourne units in this country , regs or ta or other associated rgts that are para qualified. This is a bit of a mystery

Thanks Dave for your effort in contacting your mate. John.

**Jan Portland** · 08-16-2010, 03:32 PM

Hi Guys.
As an ex Para, and also co-author of the small booklet "DZ Flashes" I suggest the folowing. The wings though they are scuffed, are 80s pattern. The name tapes I think went out not long after that, along with the brassard for the Brit way of thinking. For my money the Brown DZ patch is either South African, African or Australian. The Australians were more in tune with the Brits way of thinking of dress, and exchanges of each others countries military is common. It is possible they were also parachute coursed in the UK, or at least did the minimum jumps, and awarded the wings, which is quite common on exchanges.

The South African, and Africans, of course have many units, and it is possible that the DZ flash of brown was for a none white parachute unit? Or it could be a white parachute unit. In this sence an exchange of SA soldiers to GB and vise versa would explain the wings on the brassard, but not African. The Brit paras do Kenya quite often. This brassard for me is to course a material to be used by the Brits, hense my conclusion of being from a South African, African or Australian parachute unit.

In my collection of DZ flashes stretching back to the 50s I have never heard of nor seen a brown DZ flash being worn by any attached unit to the Parachute Regiment.

Regards, Jan Portland. Para.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-16-2010, 06:26 PM

Hi Jan, welcome to the forum! And thank you for your valued input.

Cheers, Ade.

**Blackpowder44** · 08-16-2010, 10:21 PM

Thanks Jan for your thoughts on the arm brazzard. I said in the beginning that I had never heard of a brown DZ patch and wondered if it was from some other country. With people from all over the world I was hoping for a definite answer. I surmise that the weares may have been para. jump qualified and the so called dz square may mean something different, i.e. unit flash as worn on the puggree or above the arms of service strips in WWII. John.