Help identify this qualification/award

[Rheostatic]

I've noticed this insignia on a couple of CF portraits and I've had no success figuring out what it's for. It appears to be a small pin worn centered on the left pocket. It looks like a dagger or fighting knife with blade pointed down.

 

[dangerboy]

If you post a picture of the pin it might help us out.

 

[57Chevy]

Does it look like this ?

 

[Rheostatic]

If you post a picture of the pin it might help us out.

Unfortunately I don't have one. Maybe this sketch will help. Also, I should note that the photos were black and white, so maybe the pin is silver in colour rather than gold.

 

[Strike]

I'm thinking SOF?

 

[Rheostatic]

Does it look like this ?

Yes, quite like that.

I'm thinking SOF?

That occurred to me as well, but I couldn't find anything similar.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Is it this?

Col Jake Bell, Comd 37 Bde

Or this?

Col JGS Bedard, ATL

++++++++++​

Here is a picture of BGen Day, who used to command JTF-2:

And here is one of Col barr, who was commander SOF Command:

Neither of those worthy gentlemen is wearing a vertical dagger badge.

 

[Rifleman62]

Mike Day is wearing his Assaulter qualification badge.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

Can I ask what portraits they were on?  Where did you see the portraits (so we can have a time frame of the photo)? Reserve or regular force unit?  I have seen some interesting things tacked on to uniforms throughout my years.

Some of the schools in Gagetown have their respective pins above the pocket.

 

[George Wallace]

Can I ask what portraits they were on?  Where did you see the portraits (so we can have a time frame of the photo)? Reserve or regular force unit?  I have seen some interesting things tacked on to uniforms throughout my years.

Some of the schools in Gagetown have their respective pins above the pocket.

Ah!  Could it be the Inf School badge?  As Bzzliteyr points to the fact that the CTC Schools used to wear badges on their pockets to indicate Staff.  The Armour School would have worn the Armour Fist and Arrows in that location.

 

[Rheostatic]

Is it this?

No, none of those. I did check the CF Dress Instruction before posting.

Can I ask what portraits they were on? 

They were a commander and a CWO of LFCA.

I adjusted my search terms a bit and found another photo of one of the members, BGen Young, who was commander of LFCA:

 

[Container]

Huh- BGen Day has cherry jumper wings. I would have thought he would be a white wing guy. Not that it matters of course- I just thought JTF-2 assaulters would have been. But it makes sense I suppose.

 

[Old Sweat]

This is a far out stab, but did not LFCA have a badge for members who passed a test of military skills at one time in the early nineties? That guesstimate does not fill the 25-years-ago factor stated in the first post, but maybe we can reach a conclusion by eliminating possibles.

 

[George Wallace]

This is a far out stab, but did not LFCA have a badge for members who passed a test of military skills at one time in the early nineties? That guesstimate does not fill the 25-years-ago factor stated in the first post, but maybe we can reach a conclusion by eliminating possibles.

That was the "Warrior Badge" and it came in Bronze, Silver and Gold, to be worn over your name tag.  If you were "Bronze" you could always say it was a "tarnished Gold with some TI".  >

 

[Bzzliteyr]

The warrior badge was wide and had crossed swords on a maple leaf overlay.

 

[the 48th regulator]

No, none of those. I did check the CF Dress Instruction before posting. They were a commander and a CWO of LFCA.

I adjusted my search terms a bit and found another photo of one of the members, BGen Young, who was commander of LFCA:

I beleive he got that for a course he was on, I can not remember if it was a Canadian, or American run course.  He received it very early in his career with the 48th Highlanders.

The man is a Gentleman and Officer, had the privellage of serving under his command, when he was the CO of the 48th.

I will find out what it was for, and post it here.

dileas

tess

 

[Danjanou]

Tess

I'm betting it was the "Commando Leaders Course"  or something like that run by CMA/LFCA one summer circa 1987-1988. It was the year before I transferred up to join the ranks of you "Upper Canadians."  I do remember some 48th, QORs and TorScots talking about it. I think it was run at Mudford for 6-8 weeks and was some sort of uber ISCC combined with bits and pieces of other courses like Basic Infantry Recce and a lot of PT.

I do remember a few guys wandering around with that dagger badge on their DEUs.

 

[Rheostatic]

... Which leads me to this thread:

There actually was a "Commando course" run not too long ago in August of 1988, it was 3-4 (?) weeks long and began in Meaford and was  a Reserve Army course. I was on it and made it one week but out of the 40ish candidates only 5 succeeded and can actually say they are graduates of the "Commando Course". The course content was as you would expect it to be (ie) small unit training-recce, raids, foreign weapon training and lots of physical fitness and long ruck marches. Physically it was actually quite tough for the week I lasted until injury ended my go at it. I don't know ever what became of the course as it was never run again. there were some "problems" in running it but the concept was good.

It was the Commando Leaders Course -- they was a neat little dagger pin that went along with graduating.
  I dont think it last longer than the one serial -- IIRC it was open to regs and reserves - any officer or NCO M/CPL and above.

Mystery solved. Thanks, guys.

 

[Danjanou]

That be it. When I incleared into my new TO unit the one survivor of it mentioned the physical aspect and high fasilure/drop out rate. Us poor schmucks in LFAA/AMA never heard of it, or were offered spots, probaly because we had something smilar, we called ours GMT.  >

 

[Edward Campbell]

Can I ask what portraits they were on?  Where did you see the portraits (so we can have a time frame of the photo)? Reserve or regular force unit?  I have seen some interesting things tacked on to uniforms throughout my years.
...

The portraits are from DSA.