REME
 

A tall story or not. About 25 years ago I picked up the badge 2nd from the left at a jumble sale for 50p I think. I checked out literature and couldn’t really find any reference to it. Then a mate at that time said it was produced in India when REME was formed based on the interpretation of the formation order. Later it was withdrawn and the correct one issued. I never really was a believer but didn’t have a better story.

Anyone out there think it was a tall story?

The Quetta badge, true story.

Rgds, Thomas

Wow, thanks Thomas I always thought he was pulling my leg!

REME
 

I was always under the impression that REME were first formed in the Western Desert in 1942, primarily to recover armoured vehicles to be repaired and sent back into service.

Rob

Formed on 1st Oct 1942 from RAOC, RE and RASC. Battle of El Alamein was first action.

REME
 

I am not too hot on dates, but why was the badge made at Quetta and why was it raised there?

It was a story I was told regarding formation of REME LADs in India and the badge in the picture was the first one used. They subsequently discovered it was a wrong interpretation and discarded the badges and the correct one was issued.

Alternatively the badge may of come from anywhere? I don’t know the answers, I was hoping someone on here might?

REME
 

I to was hoping to find out why this particular badge was made in India, was it a trial pattern, later discarded?

Rob

I don't think it's meant that the REME was formed in India, but that the troops re badging to the new REME where ever they were in the world needed a cap badge, the Units in India had the description but had never seen the badge so it was made up locally from the description.......hence the misinterpretation.

A fantastic find of a much sought after badge, I have seen it sell for ridiculous amounts of money.
Regards
Sean

Thanks Sean, only trouble is, the wife was looking over my shoulder when I read this and she wants you to describe ridiculous on pound notes.

There is a moral there somewhere.
Ian

The story is correct. The description was misinterpreted by the makers in Quetta which is now in Pakistan but was India at the time. It was worn from October 1942 until supplies of the new badge arrived in February 1943.

Here's my two, see post 7.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ghlight=quetta
Drmiggy. Your badge looks to be smaller than a cap badge, so possibly a collar? If so I didn't know that the Quetta badge was also made as collars, but logically I suppose it would have been.

Hi Jeep

Do you know dimensions of yours and I can compare? By the way 79C - what about you?

Well, I think you are the jeep! Arborfield 62A A Coy. Both my badges are 40mm x 40mm give or take a mil.

From the REME History with my notes in red

The early years of the Second World War brought the realisation that the existing repair system was not able to support the massive scale of equipment being deployed in every theatre. Following on from recommendations made by a Cabinet committee, under the chairmanship of Sir William Beveridge, the REME Corps was created.

Such a major re-organisation was too complex to be carried out quickly and completely in the middle of the War. It was decided that the changeover would be undertaken in two phases.

The first phase, implemented in 1942 saw the REME Corps being formed on the existing [engendering] branch of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) and supported by the transfer of certain technical tradesmen from the Royal Engineers (RE) and Royal Army Service Corps (RASC).

[These early REME Workshops continued to be co-located with RAOC Field Parks they were once part of]

The new Corps was made responsible for repairing the technical equipment of all units (with certain major exceptions).

Soon after it’s formation, REME was tested at the Battle of El-Alamein and proved successful.

It was formed 'worldwide' on the same date