Light Infantry Tactical Badge - Belfast 1988
 

Just received two berets (Same owner) and one came with this really nice Brass slidered LI badge in black. According to the seller/owner it was worn in Northern Ireland in 1989.

Any other info from the guys in the know? :D

Hi Tom

One of the lads may have picked it up from somewhere and worn it - so never say never.

But that would have been my battalion in West Belfast - 2LI - and I have never seen a badge like that before. We wore blackened a/a or a nasty black plastic thing sold in the PRI.

Guys name I think is Bryant? I'm waiting on more information as we speak.

Tom

Just checked the message and it says NI 1988, so possibly not Belfast, think that was when I was doing some digging around the LI.

1LI were in Omagh in 1988

Tend to agree with you there - a totally unofficial private pick up badge. Loads of the lads used to wear metal badges that were privately purchased, never saw an issued metal one until the "improved metal" ones that were issued shortly before the formation of the Rifles. Flip side of that is that I've also seen plenty of officers wearing anodised badges on the beret and even seen bullion embroidered beret badges worn (by Cadet force officers). Looking at the berets, I don't think that the berets with the fabric band were still being issued when the Rifles were formed - i'd guess that some-one has added a Rifles badge to an earlier (1980s vintage) beret
PL

I was told the badge was added, as he only wore it for a short while, guessing he just had an existing beret that fitted and swapped the badge over upon them changing. :)

Tom

Just received this:


Joined the ,1st Bn the Light Infantry in 1969, 1988 in Northern Ireland, left the Army in 1991 as RSM. Joined the School 1991 as SSI to run the CCF and will retire Mar, 2017.

1LI left Northern Ireland in Jan 89.

I have a factory black ano cap badge and a blackened large collar .
The collar ,ive seen worn with and without the red backing.
Im still on the hunt for the black plastic version.

There's reference to the LI blackened brass badge half way down this thread (I resisted the urge to say "half way up" as it's an ARRSE thread).
Found it whilst Googling the LI black plastic beret badge:

https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/th....178479/page-4

Interesting,ive never come across a brass LI badge. The badge in the image isnt brass,its bronze coated copper. I have just got one from Paddy. The info i have was that it was a stop gap at the end of the LI brigade 1968 and the finalisation of the LI regt dress regs in 1970.
If the guy says he wore it in the 80s then they must have been kept.

I have a pair of large LI collars made the same way from the same materials. The lugs are on the tassels rather than the bugle ends,same as an older pair of SCLI collars i have.
I read a bit more of that ARSSE thread. 2RGJ was the old KRRC btn which was 2GJ in the brigade. I seen a blackish GJ officers badge not an ORs badge though. Never seen a black RGJ officers badge either no doubt theyll have ponced a black ano version.

Hey,

Thanks, thats most interesting as the beret is certainly newer than the early 70s I'd say, maybe he kept it and decided to chuck it on because it was blackened? Interesting to see soldiers not following regs ;)

Tom

Heres mine,with a large collar to show the similarities.