SAS Special Forces items win over bidders at Tamworth military auction

Insignia, ephemera and belts tally £3,780

SAS Special Forces items stormed to success at auction in Tamworth on Wednesday (January 29).

Collectors in the room battled with bidders on the internet over a number of lots relating to the legendary Special Air Service.

There was a huge amount of interest in a collection of Special Forces SAS items from the Malayan Emergency.

These included SAS insignia and beret badge and photographs relating to Number 2 Troop A SQDN SAS in the Malayan Crisis from 1951 to 1952.

The lot also featured what is believed to be an operational map used by the unit in Malaya, formation patches from the Malaya Command and a triangular pennant with SAS badge attached, likely a vehicle pennant.

The collection, pictured at the top of the page, eventually sold at £1,600.

A further lot of SAS/Malaya Crisis items made £850 with another SAS Special Forces collection selling at £900.

The latter included two SAS beret/cap badges; SAS Para wings; original photographs of an SAS trooper, parachutists over the jungle and D Squadron 22nd SAS in Penang on July 8 1957; two Malaya Command claret background formation patches; original Malay leaflets; and a Malay Command Christmas card.

The auction also saw two booklets with Special Forces interest make £240 and three current issue Special Forces stable belts for 22 SAS in blue, 13th Signals Regiment (UKSF) in black and Reconnaissance Corps in navy blue sell at £190.

"This auction had some fantastic results for SAS Special Forces items," said medals and militaria consultant Nick Thompson.

"We at Richard Winterton Auctioneers have brushed shoulders in the past with members of this elite unit and brought to auction in March 2020 the medals and archive of a former member of the Parachute Regiment and 22 SAS Peter McAleese, who sadly passed away in March 2024.

"We are now honoured to be able to bring to a number of our military sales in 2025 a huge collection of militaria including badges, medals, insignia, paperwork and personal items of uniform from a veteran of the Signals Regiment (UKSF) who has deployed with the SAS overseas and at home.

"This lifelong collection will provide great interest to the collector with rare and unique items going back as far as the Second World War.

"The collection has been built over a long number of years and features pretty much something for everyone, so be sure to check out the military section in our monthly auctions at Tamworth."

Valuations of medals or militaria can be booked at The Tamworth Auction Rooms – email tamworth@richardwinterton.co.uk or telephone 01827 217746 – and The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park – telephone 01543 251081 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk.