SAAF WW2 UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA

Many thanks to Mark Naude who photographed these from his private collection and sent the scans to me. 


 1) SAAF WW2 Service Dress Barathea with SD Cap 2

The Drab Service Dress Jacket was prescribed for officers by the 1934 Dress Regulations. It was a greenish-brown 'drab' colour, was usually made from Barathea cloth,had a step collar, two breast pockets and two expading pockets below the waist. The officers' jacket had four buttons down the front.  SAAF uniforms usually had standard RAF buttons with eagle and crown.

 [Note: in this display the shirt is actually a 1960s SA Army shirt as it's the nearest match I had to display it with]


1a) Battle Dress jacket.

 

 2) SAAF SD cap front gilt badge


 3) SAAF SD Cap bronze badge


 4) SAAF WW2 SD angle view


 5) SAAF WW2 SD cap side view


 6) Forage Cap Blue Major: This type of cap was worn with Blue "Full Dress" and "Undress" Blue before and after WW2. Before sunset it would be worn with a white cap cover. After sunset the cover would be removed.

 


 7) Field Service Cap Khaki Drill side view 2


 8)  Field Service Cap Khaki Drill side view

 9) WW2 Khaki Beret as worn by ground crew and also Balkan Air  Force aircrews 


 10) WW2 Khaki Beret as worn by ground crew and also Balkan Air  Force aircrews 2


 11) Cap bagde for Colonels and Brigadiers. Royal Crest embroidered on Orange, S.P.F.S.


11a)  Polo Pattern Helmet - Canadian Hawley type


 12) SAAF WW2 Wing Detail on Barathea Service Dress


 13)  SAAF WW2 Wing Detail on Khaki Drill backing 2


 14) Observer Navigator half wing


 15) Gilt collar on Barathea Service Dress


 16)  BM Collar on Light Buff Gaberdine SD


 16a) Collar badge on light fawn gaberdine jacket 


17)  This picture illustrates two of th emost common patterns of SAAF shoulder title worn by other ranks on the shoulder strap during the Second World War.  The billungual abbreviations stood for South African Air Force and Suid-Afrikaanse Lugmag. Titles were commonly made of brass/gilding metal or blackened during war time.  Other ranks continued to wear them up to the early 1950s. 

 The titles are displayed on the "red tab" (officially 'Orange, Sealed Permanent Force Shade') which symbolised that the wearer was a volunteer.  These tabs were worn throughout WW2 by members of the SAAF who signed the Africa Service Oath or General Service Oath.   Note the slightly different shades of red/orange felt.


 18)  Womens Auxillary Air Force / Vrouehulplugmag

 Despite the official Afrikaans title being written as a single word the shoulder title broke it into four letters as an abbreviation.


 19) Drill cane boss badge


 

During the Second World War, the SAAF rank structure was as follows:

 

Air Mechanic

Leading Air Mechanic

Air Corporal

Air Sergeant

Flight Sergeant

Warrant Officer Class II

Warrant Officer Class I 

 

Officer Cadet

 

2nd Lieutenant

Lieutenant

Captain

Major

Lieutenant-Colonel

Colonel

Brigadier

Major-General

Lieutenant-General


 

 20)  Brig and Col gorgets small type for BD and BJkt. Smaller version of gorgets as worn on Battle Dress and Bush jacket. The buttons are SA Staff Co

 

21a) Capt. slip-on

 

 21) Lt slip on rank as worn on BJkt, BD and shirts 

This type was worn on khaki drill bushjackets, shirts and the serge battle dress


21a) Battle dress slip-on

 

21a) WO1 cloth on KD

In the SAAF they were referred to as "Air Sergeant Major" or "Master~" followed by their trade e.g. Master Air Photographer.

 

21b)  WO1 metal

 

 22) WO2 metal


23)

 

 24) WO2 cloth on KD Insignia worn by Warrant Officers Class II.

In the SAAF they were known as "Air Quartermaster-Sergeant" or "Chief ~" followed by their trade e.g. Chief Air Photographer, Chief Air Clerk etc.

The metal versions were worn on Service Dress and the cloth varieties on shirts etc.


 25)  WO2 cloth varieties


 26) FSgt cloth


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