Fire Gilt RA badge

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi all

Acquired this little beauty by Gaunt London yesterday, being Fire Gilt would this have been an officers issue and what era ?

I have a similar one in the collection but in plain brass.

Thanks
Brian

[leigh kitchen]

Is it beret badge sized? Following the same belt and braces approach of lugs and slider as the OR's gilding metal version?

[manchesters]

Brian,

Its an Officers Beret badge. WW2 and after upto 1952.

regards

[Brian Conyngham]

Thanks Simon for clarifying this. Yes Leigh small beret size.

Brian

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Hi all

Acquired this little beauty by Gaunt London yesterday, being Fire Gilt would this have been an officers issue and what era ?

I have a similar one in the collection but in plain brass.

Thanks
Brian

This size and pattern and your brass version were introduced in 1948 and superseded by the St. Edward's Crown badges in 1954.

Marc

[Brian Conyngham]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

This size and pattern and your brass version were introduced in 1948 and superseded by the St. Edward's Crown badges in 1954.

Marc

Thanks Marc

This is a lovely badge, so it had a relatively short life span.

Brian

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Thanks Marc

This is a lovely badge, so it had a relatively short life span.

Brian

In theory yes, although superseded, they continued to be worn until stocks exhausted. I know some Gunners were still wearing a King's Crown brass badge well into the 1980s, we did not like the new anodised aluminium ones.

Marc

[Eddie Parks]

When i was commissioned into the RA in 1968 I bought one of these in gilt QC from my tailor. But I never wore it as when I arrived at School of Artillery for my Young Officers course we were told they were no longer worn and we had to buy a wire woven beret badge. We were also issued with a weird brown pullover with suede shoulder patches so that we were distinguishable from real officers. I later discovered these pullovers were surplus stock from the Aden Protectorate Levies.

Never, ever assume that Gunners pay very much attention to dress regulations.

Eddie

[Brian Conyngham]

Originally Posted by Eddie Parks

When i was commissioned into the RA in 1968 I bought one of these in gilt QC from my tailor. But I never wore it as when I arrived at School of Artillery for my Young Officers course we were told they were no longer worn and we had to buy a wire woven beret badge. We were also issued with a weird brown pullover with suede shoulder patches so that we were distinguishable from real officers. I later discovered these pullovers were surplus stock from the Aden Protectorate Levies.

Never, ever assume that Gunners pay very much attention to dress regulations.

Eddie

Thanks Eddie, the 1960's were interesting days and money was tight, but the British were still a reasonable powerful force in the World!

[Frank Kelley]

The rot began to set in towards the end of that decade!

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Thanks Eddie, the 1960's were interesting days and money was tight, but the British were still a reasonable powerful force in the World!