Air Force Uniforms

Air Force Captain, Dinner Dress tunic with pants. Tunic has loops for a regimental badge.

This is a unique uniform in that the collar patches and cuff insignia are purple in color. In all the Romanian reference books that I have on the Air Force, they do not mention the color purple for the Air Force. I did come across a reference made in an American book on WW2 insignia that identified the color purple as being for an Air Force Mechanic. I don't think that mechanics in the Air Force had their own distinctive uniforms did they ? I think it is the same as the Romanian naval insignia on purple which is for a Naval Engineer. Could this be for an Air Force Engineer or is it an Air Force Mechanic ? I do know that Air Force engineers had silver buttons and silver cuff braids. Silver being for Technical the technical branch. Can anyone clarify the color purple used in the Air Force ?

This post has been edited by REGAL UNIFORMA COLECTOR on May 31, 2006 01:24 pm

Cuff insignia. Captain rank on Purple background.

Collar patch insignia in purple.

According the Air Force Uniforms Regulation adopted by the Royal Decree Nr. 2782 of 22nd of July 1930, the distinctive colours of the Romanian Air Force were as fallows:

• Generals – light blue;
• Fighter units – dark green as for the Rifles (Vanatori);
• Bomber units – red;
• Reconnaissance units – light blue (Azuriu);
• Aerostation – brown;
• Schools – orange;
• General staff – navy blue (Bleumarin);
• Engineers – dark blue (Bleu de Roi);
• Mechanics – violet;
• Doctors – cherry red;
• Hydro-aviation – have a metal anchor instead of the distinctive colour.

Only Supply (Intendenta/Administratie ) officers had silver buttons and distinction lace.

From 1939, the officers of the AA units and Aero Engineers (Geniu aero) Regiment wore Air Force uniforms with appropriate branch of service cap badges and distinctive colours: black for AA units and black piped red for Aero Engineers (Geniu aero).

From 1941 the Paratroopers' distinctive colour was light blue .

Thank you for sharing your uniform knowledge. I thought that this uniform was for a mechanic. I just never seen one documented in any reference book. I beleive also that Observers and General Services or unassigned officers also wore light blue collar patches ?

This uniform has loops for a regimental badge. Did the mechanics have their own distinct insignia badge or school badge that they wore or did they perhaps wore the regimental badge of the Aero unit they were asigned to ? I have never seen a Mechanics regimental badge or a Mechanics School badge. I assume that they probably existed. I do have in my collection an Aero Mechanics stickpin insignia made probably in the 1920's or early 1930's and I presume it was given upon completion of school or courses. It is a stamped brass insignia of an airplane motor and prop.

Take a look in the thread on Regimental badges of the Romanian army for the badge of Şcoala Tehnică pentru Aeronautică (Technical School for Aeronautics).


Source: Romanian Air Force Badges by George-Paul Sandachi