Does anyone know something about this UNPA pin

[JEEP]

I have just bought this pin at an online auction:

I bought it because I liked the look of it and bacause it costed next to nothing.

Doing a google search on "UNPA" reveals af few posabilities about the origin of this badge, but nothing conclusive.

If anyone knows something about this badge and the story behind it I would be very gratefull to hear about it.


/Jakob

 

[Trotsky]

Some sort of Communist Bloc pin I bet. Not Soviet, as it would be in Russian. Could be any of the Eastern European States, Poland, Hungary or perhaps Romania.

 

[JEEP]

Searchin for "UNPA" (or "U.N.P.A.") on google does not reveal any connections to the former communist bloc.

The two most common (and imo. most likely) hits are United Nations Postal Administration (founded 1947) or United Nations Protected Area (a term used about areas under the protection/administration of the UN) - maybe the pin has something to do with the blockade of Vest Berlin in 1948-/49 and the so called Berlin Airlift - that would explain the aeroplanes. Maybe the pin was sold in support of the Airlift - in Denmark it was/is quite a common practice for humanitarian organisations to sell pins/badges like that in support of their work.


/Jakob

 

[bentruwe]

UNPA was the WWII Italian National Association for Air-Raid Protection; the letters stand for l'Unione Nazionale per la Protezione Anti-Aeria. An Italian collector's page has a picture of your pin:
http://collezionismovvf.interfree.it/Unpa.htm

 

[JEEP]

Thank you bentruwe Mystery solved.

I feel kinda bad about having worn it now though lol

Maybe I can make it better by wearing my original Iron Front/Einserne Front pin:

Regards.

Jakob

 

[bentruwe]

Aw, don't feel bad. It's like a Civil Defense pin, not anti-aircraft.