Dominica Defence Force anodised cap badge 1978-81)

DOMINICA DEFENCE FORCE CAP BADGE  (1978–1981)

This anodised aluminium cap badge was issued to the Dominica Defence Force, the small military arm of the newly independent island of Dominica. The unit existed only for a brief window — roughly 1978 to 1981 — and its insignia is a product of that turbulent early post-independence period.

At the centre of the badge sits the Imperial Amazon parrot, Dominica’s national bird and a symbol of pride unique to the island. The rifles and wreath are British military design language, but everything about this piece represents a country trying to stand on its own feet after independence from Britain in November 1978.

Almost as soon as Dominica became independent, political stability became shaky. In 1979 the government collapsed, the island suffered Hurricane David, and the Dominica Defence Force suddenly mattered far more than its tiny size implied.

By 1980–81 the DDF became tangled in political unrest and failed coups, including:

1981 attempted coup

A group of radical ex-soldiers, mercenaries and political activists — including members of the Dominica Defence Force — attempted an armed coup (often referred to as “Operation Red Dog”). Their plan was to overthrow the government, seize control of the island, and install a dictatorship.

The plot failed spectacularly. Some conspirators were arrested in the US before they even boarded their boat; others were rounded up on Dominica itself. The scandal placed the Defence Force in an impossible position.

In the aftermath of the coup attempts, Prime Minister Eugenia Charles took decisive action. The government disbanded the Dominica Defence Force entirely in 1981. 

With the force dissolved, all DDF-issued kit, insignia and cap badges effectively stopped being required, which makes these badges extremely short-lived. There was no long-term supply chain, no reserve force and no steady issuance after 1981