Guards 'trade' badge backings Full Dress

[grumpy]

Originally Posted by cbuehler

Where it would seem that Guards trade badge backings would certainly be on blue nowadays, did this always hold true? (in other words, circa ww1 or before).
I also note that Guards full dress L. Cpl. and L. Sgt. rank chevrons have a very thin dark blue edging. This also applies to good conduct badges for Privates etc.

CB

Yes, I have done a great deal of research and with the single exception of the Sgt-Major Large badge, there is no known authentic instance of any other backing. This stems from the historical use of 'facing colour' as badge backing by the entire army [including various yellows, various greens, purple, black .....] which disappeared between 1860 and 1870 as various arms of service were forced to 'simplify' by central edict. The sole exception was the Household Troops ... the exception is stressed several times in the records. The design of rank and good conduct chevrons was also simplified / made cheaper, EXCEPT for the Household.

[grumpy]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

Some Guards Full Dress Pioneer Sgts badges.

Thank you but are these not Lance-Sgt and below ..... surely the Pioneer Sgt has gold badges to go with his gold chevrons?

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by grumpy

Thank you but are these not Lance-Sgt and below ..... surely the Pioneer Sgt has gold badges to go with his gold chevrons?

Sorry loaded the wrong images, now corrected.

[54Bty]

These are some of the Full Dress badges for the (Assault) Pioneers, Foot Guards. There is also a star for both the Scots Guards and Irish Guards.

[grumpy]

many thanks, I am very envious!

very difficult to source these I fear.

[Tony Barnes]

Originally Posted by grumpy

I have done a lot of work recently on the possibility that the various 'trade' badges were always worked on to dark navy blue backings, together with all rank badges and Good Conduct badges except the RSM 'big badge', on scarlet.

I conclude dark navy blue was always the backing.

Please does anyone have evidence to the contrary?

I believe the colour of the backing will depend on the uniform being worn, eg blue is a commom colour for No1 Dress in many regts and corps and that's probably why these are the most common. However, there are also rank and other qualification badges, eg para wings, made specifically for mess kits and here the colours of the jackets vary greatly. So, if you come across any rank badges with an 'odd' coloured backing, chances are it's a mess kit badge. In addition, mess kit badges tend to be smaller than the badges worn on other uniforms, eg No 1 and No 2 Dress. I'm ex - Int Corps and our mess kit badges have a light grey backing!

[grumpy]

Thank you: fortunately I am only currently researching Foot Guards Home Service Tunics, scarlet.

[grumpy]

An update: all five regiments have been kind enough to reply, involving Master Tailors, RQMS, a Captain, a Lt-Col and indeed the Garrison Sergeant-Major.

To summarise: all OR badges with the exception of the Regimental Sergeant-Majors' big badge, are and always have been made up on dark navy blue.

Article on this imminent in MHS Bulletin.

The main reason that almost no badges other than rank are no longer worn is purely for economy: they mark the Home Service Dress and make it difficult to re-use for another soldier.

A shame, but there it is.

ITS THE ECONOMY, STUPID!