When Canada unified its navy, army, and air force in 1968, the change did not stop at headquarters charts and command structures. It reached collars, caps, sleeves, buttons, shoulder titles, rank badges, and the daily uniform seen on parade squares and in messes across the country. For many service members, Canadian military unification was something they wore. The new Canadian Forces identity was visible in the replacement of many traditional service badges with common insignia, a shared...

A small brass badge can carry a surprising amount of Canadian history. A crown, a beaver, a maple leaf, a motto in Latin, a place name, a regimental number, each detail points to a unit, a period, and often a community that sent people to serve. Collecting Canadian militia cap badges and insignia is rewarding because the field is wide but still approachable. Some badges are common and affordable. Others are scarce, heavily faked, or tied to short-lived units. The trick is learning to read the...

A squadron name can carry more than a number. In the case of No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron RAF, it carried the name of a place that was not yet part of Canada, a North Atlantic people already shaped by war, sea, distance, and duty. The unit is often remembered as the Royal Air Force 125th Newfoundland Squadron, though its formal RAF title was No. 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron. Its story belongs to the Second World War, to the dark skies over Britain and Europe, and to Newfoundland’s wider...