THE 1st BELGIAN
INDEPENDANT PARACHUTIST COMPANY
1941 - 1944

THE 1st BELGIAN SAS SQUADRON
1944

THE 1st BELGIAN SAS PARACHUTIST REGIMENT
1945 - 1946

RANK INSIGNIA

British Rank Insignia were worn by the 1st Belgian Independant Parachute Company, the 1st Belgian SAS Squadron,
and the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment until the end of 1945.

Belgian Rank Insignia were worn again by the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute regiment, starting 1946.

BERET INSIGNIA

During the period of the 1st Belgian Independant Parachute Company, the Belgian Lion was worn on the beret.

Copper colour for the men, silver for the NCO's, and bronze for the officers.

Belgian Lion Officers - NCO's - Men		Adjudant THONARD wearing the Paraberet with the Belgian Lion.

During the period of the 1st Belgian SAS Squadron and the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment,
all ranks wore the famous winged dagger.

The winged dagger was a creation of David STIRLING, the founder of the SAS in 1941.

First type of the winged dagger, worn by some the Belgian SAS		Type of the winged dagger, as worn by the belgian SAS.
Lieutenant GHYS wearing the winged dagger

Once the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment was reintegrated into the Belgian Army, beginning 1946,
the Belgian Lion was worn again on the beret.

PARACHUTE WINGS

1st Belgian Independant Parachute Company.

The Parachute Qualification Wing was worn by all ranks who passed through the Parachute Training School.

The first ones wore a all white wing, i.e. white parachute and white wing on a khaki background.

This was shortlived and was changed to a light blue wing and a white parachute on a khaki background.

The wing was worn on the right arm below the national colours.

First Para Wing worn by some of the Belgian Paratroopers.

Para Wing worn by most of the Belgian Paratroopers.

Sergeant DELAGAYE wearing the Parachute Qualification Wing

1st Belgian SAS Squadron / SAS Parachute Regiment.

The SAS Qualification Wing was worn by all ranks who were part of the fighting elements of the unit.

A dark blue and light blue wing with a white parachute on a dark blue background.

They wore the badge on the right sleeve until they had jumped in operations.

Once they had jumped in operations, they wore the badge on the left breast pocket.

The new recruits, integrated after September 1944, i.e. after the Liberation of Belgium,
wore the Parachute qualification wing on a dark blue background.

SAS Qualification Wing worn by all ranks.
SAS Parachute Qualification Wing worn by the new recruits after September 1944
Tönder, Denmark, May 1945. Belgian SAS with the SAS wing on his right arm.		Warvolunteer SCHEPERS (+ Sep 11 1945) wearing the SAS Parachute Qualification Badge.

Battle Dress blouse of Captain LEYDER. He wears the rank insignia as foreseen in the Dress Regulations of May 1945.

OTHER INSIGNIA

Arm Titles

By the end of 1944, beginning 1945 a arm title "SAS", white letters on a maroon background, appeared,
and was worn until the reintegration into the Belgian Army, beginning 1946.

SAS Title		Senior Captain DELELIENNE wearing the SAS Title, the SAS Wing and the Pegasus patch.

A few men also wore a arm title "BAMC", which is the abbreviation of Belgian Army Medical Corps.

White letters on a maroon background.

The few men who wore this arm title just took a "RAMC" arm title, and altered the letter "R" manually.

All Ranks of the 1st Belgian Independant Parachute Company wore the "BELGIUM" title on the left arm sleeve,
dark red lettering on a khaki background..

No "BELGIUM" was worn in the 1st Belgian SAS Squadron and the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment
until end 1945.

Starting 1946 the "BELGIUM" title was worn again, but now white lettering on a khaki background.

Dark red "BELGIUM"

White "BELGIUM"

Pegasus patch.

The Pegasus patch was worn, on both sleeves, by all ranks
in the 1st Belgian SAS Squadron and the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment.

Embroidered version.
Printed version

Belgian National Colours.

All Ranks of the 1st Belgian Independant Parachute Company wore the national colours on the right arm sleeve,
black - yellow - red.

No colours were worn in the 1st Belgian SAS Squadron and the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment
until end 1945.

Starting 1946 the national colours were worn again.

Belgian National Colours

Non official Belgian Wing

Somewhere in 1942-1943 a Belgian Paratrooper, Urbain DEPREZ, designed a wing.

It was foreseen that the design would be approved, but this did not happen.

The problem was that the design had already been produced in a small quantity (approx. 50).

Those wings were subsequently sold and worn on pullovers and shirts.

A second pattern can also be found, but none of the veterans, to which the second pattern was shown,
has any remembrance of seeing this pattern during WW2.

It is therefore presumed that this second pattern is a post war version.

Non official Belgian Parachute Wing , first version.

Belgian Wing, second pattern, probably post war production. (Collection Mark Backx)

Non official Wing, second version, worn on pullover.

Belgian SAS Shoulder Patch

Once the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment was reintegrated in the Belgian Army, beginning 1946,
a shoulder patch had to be worn on both shoulders.

A small version of the winged dagger, white on khaki background.

The commanding officer, Major BLONDEEL, did not like the patch,
and at the end of 1946 the patch was withdrawn.

Belgian SAS Shoulder Patch as worn in 1946

Belgian SAS Metal Breast Pocket Badge.

Little is known about this metal pocket badge.

It was worn, although not officially, by the men of the 1st Belgian SAS Parachute Regiment.

It is not known when it was produced, or who designed it.

In 1946 the badge was not worn any more.

Belgian SAS Breast Pocket Badge		Belgian SAS wearing the breast pocket badge