Quote:
Originally Posted by New Collector
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.
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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