Enamel unit insignia from the French Army and Navy. Some of it from WWII and most of it either modern or from the 50's. Click on the image for the unit name. Some will surprise you. This is another example of why some of the best design comes from the military. Maybe not the best plans -- but definitely the best design.
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These are fantastic. Hope I'm not the only heterosexual male who's inexplicably drawn to any motif with a sword.
ReplyDeleteAll of those are so interesting. As a Lebanese guy, I'm particularly interested in the first two. I tried searching Google and eBay and found nothing similar. Know any more details about these? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteArmy. Vietnam. 1969-1970. 1st Bn. 50th. Inf. Mech.
ReplyDeletePlay the Game. Great Blog
"Scott Alexander" is a Lebanese name?
ReplyDelete....Tintin: your enthusiasm for things militaire francais is interesting since generally the French are not higly regarded in that department over here. Like most American urban myths it's misplaced. Perceptions of French military incompetence are largely based on the events of 1940 whereas otherwise their record is fairly good (other than 1870 I suppose).
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! Is this your collection?
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
LD
aluckydoglife.blogspot.com
Someone whose opinions I trust a lot said one time "its all about medals and badges". Now I see why. Great post.
ReplyDeleteML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com
I'm sure those badges are rife with sentimental symbolism to unit members, but, as you implied, they don't make a lick of sense to the rest of us. Way cool though, I wouldn't mind having a couple
ReplyDeleteStew- You and me both.
ReplyDeleteScott- Google and Ebay? You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that.
John- Thanks for the visit. Interesting unit. Assume you were with the 1st Cav. Ever get down to the SF camp at Vinh Thanh?
Joe- I like things military from all over the world. From a design perspective some countries just do it better than others. The French Foreign Legion magazine, Kepi Blanc has won numerous awards. I subscribed for a couple of years and was always blown away by it --and I can't read French.
Lucky Dog- They are now. I love Carolina beach music too.
M Lane- Napolean said, "Men will die for mere bobbles." Of course, Anne Margaret called them boobles in the Cheap Detective.
NC Jack- Better to earn them than to buy them.
I agree, Tintin, and share your enthusiasm. And once again, more evidence you have "an eye." But I've long known that. Too bad our armed forces couldn't consult you.
ReplyDeleteI used to wonder why every other nations' stamps were so cool while ours sucked. They've gotten a whole lot better in the last decade-and-a-half, but the US Postal system has no idea how to "sell" them. Or, because they're operating in the red, won't.
Group those insignias on velvet under a frame and you have a nice display, and conversation piece: one of those "no reason, just because" kind of things.
-DB
In the UK it's called a 'red' beret. My grandfather was a red beret and yes, used two hands to put it on. You can be a red beret, a green beret but I've never hear any soldier refer to himself as a 'black beret'...
ReplyDeleteNever would I have thought to look for this on my own -thank you, Tintin. (I was a little freaked out by the colonial-ness of some of these, tho'.)
ReplyDeleteAnd, your military posts are usually my favorite AND have been useful to me in my job working with government documents. Defense documents are popular research items and your posts have helped me be a little more in tune with those who have this interest. So, thanks again.