Royale's Airmen, The 'Eagle' Gym Vest (updated Sat 4th Feb)

In Royale 05, 'Airman's Gym Spanking', Peter George wears a singlet/vest with an eagle motif on the chest which looks like that used by the RAF, suggesting he is a member of that branch of the services.  The vest itself looks as it might be pale blue, in keeping with RAF colours. 

Royale openly promoted Peter's pictures using this military connection. Thus in Royale Studio's notes for Peter George's solo set '3-PUN', he is described as "Corporal Peter George, a Physical Training Instructor". This occupation was also referenced in beefcake magazines of the time that printed his pictures. Royale's brochure description did not specify which branch of the services he was in.

This image and the accompanying words, printed in Man Alive 5, Jun 1959 

seems to clear up any uncertainty. 

The badge on Peter's top looks absolutely authentic, but it's actually illegal for non-servicemen to wear military uniforms (other than for plays) or for anyone to bring the uniform into disrepute (1894 Uniforms Act) so Royale were playing with fire here. Significantly I've not seen this particular picture or the top shown in it anywhere else. 

The eagle on Royale's PT vest is very similar to that used by the RAF, but it's usually contained within a roundel on their official badges as in Peter's picture above. I haven't found one that looks exactly like the Royale vest motif. Royale made a speciality of tailoring clothes to squeeze their models into so it's not hard to imagine them producing their own eagle vest to imply his background without breaking any laws.

This is the official badge worn by RAF PT Instructors. 

I don't know why it features cutlasses.

Above, a cheery RAF PTI of the modern era, I love those colour-coded, 'muscle' singlets 

(the Army version has sexy red edging). 

Sadly they post-date the Royale era. 

RAF gymnasts in the Royal Tournament 1964 RAF gymnastics display wore plain white vests. That video happens to be contemporaneous with the Royal era (but it's not possible to spot Peter in it!)

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Royale model, Pete Beale in 'Eagle vest' set PEB-3

Peter George was not the only Royale model to wear the 'Eagle' Airforce vest, Pete Beale also posed for a set wearing it*.  I dare say it's his expressive shorts that have caught your eye rather than the vest! Royale described them as 'form fitting' and Beale himself as a 'magnificent specimen, if a trifle big'.

*Or at least the logo is identical, Pete's vest looks lighter in colour, but I think it probably is the same piece of kit. It's clearly darker than his shorts. Peter George's vest is also 'bleached' by the lighting in some of the later gym spanking pictures. 

Beale like Peter George was described as a PT Instructor  in Royale's catalogue, 

but I've not found a reference specifying the RAF yet. 

This set (3-PEB) can be dated to Jan 1959 by a reference in Royale's Catalogue, List VI.

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Royale Model, Steve Wilson in 'Eagle' Vest, PT Kit

Steve Wilson also shimmied into the same kit for a Jan 1960 series of pictures (2-STW in Royale's Catalogue, List X). It promised 'novel angles' of him swapping his pyjamas for shorts for his morning exercises. His chunky thighs can rarely have looked better than they do in this picture. 

Wilson was described as an RAF PT Corporal, exactly the same as Peter George. Notice that all three models are also wearing the same long socks suggesting that the images were taken around the same time despite the last two being published a year apart.

These two sets provide clues to the possible dating of Peter George's gym spanking set (Royale 05).

This is discussed in more detail in Peter George's Career page.