WW1 CLOTH PATCHES ID PLEASE

[actionoke]

Can anyone say if these are both WW1 vintage...how do you tell difference between the First war variant and WW2 on the 55 patch?What is the other patch?

[leigh kitchen]

The double roses patch may be WWI era 31st Division.
If so, I wonder if it was worn with white rose to the "front" by Yorkshire units & red rose to the front by Lancashire units, albeit this would mean that the badge would be worn upside down on one arm, unless the badges were deliberately made in "facing" pairs to facilitate the white rose / red rose to the front.

[Mike Jackson]

The lower sign is, I believe, the uncommon first pattern sign of 71 Inf Bde. It only existed from Nov 40 - May 42 and comprised 8 Y&L, 9 Y&L and 7 King's Own. The later pattern sign was printed on a black background. Later in the War, the sign was redundant since 71 Inf Bde was a component of 42 Armd Div and then 53 (Welsh) Inf Div. Mike