Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

[Graham Stewart]

RRF 1.jpg
The badge & hackles of the Fusilier Bde 1960, taken from a recruiting card.

RRF 2.jpg
A recruitng pamphlet showing the badge & hackles of the Fusilier Bde post 1963.

[1stTankie]

Originally Posted by Graham Stewart

St.Georges Day, 1968 saw the formation of the "Royal Regt of Fusiliers". Prior to that the Fusilier Brigade only consisted of the RNF(1st Bn), RF(2nd Bn and LF(3rd Bn). The R.Warwicks weren't converted to Fusiliers until 1st May 1963 and on joining the Fusilier Brigade, became the 2nd Bn, the RF & LF becoming the 3rd & 4th Bn's.

The Fusilier Brigade was itself formed in 1958, but mainly as an administrative formation, but in 1959 total intergration began with a Central Depot and interposting between these units. 1960 saw the introduction of a common badge to all.

Hi Graham

I would be grateful for your help with these please.

I know nothing about the big one,13.8 x 10.5 cms. Obtained, I think, early in 1960, the "lugs" are 1.8 cms approx. Could this have been intended for the full dress busby and then abandoned in favour of the more normal size? Alternatively could it have been some sort of cross belt plate?

The small plastic one is also a mystery to me. I assume made and worn in NI at some time.

Any help would be very welcome

Best wishes

Gordon

Apologies if this is off thread.

[Graham Stewart]

Originally Posted by 1stTankie

Hi Graham

I would be grateful for your help with these please.

I know nothing about the big one,13.8 x 10.5 cms. Obtained, I think, early in 1960, the "lugs" are 1.8 cms approx. Could this have been intended for the full dress busby and then abandoned in favour of the more normal size? Alternatively could it have been some sort of cross belt plate?

The small plastic one is also a mystery to me. I assume made and worn in NI at some time.

Any help would be very welcome

Best wishes

Gordon

Apologies if this is off thread.

Know the exact one you mean. The first photo's I've seen of it in use are indeed being worn in the fur cap(busby's are worn by Hussars & ginger beers), but it was a bit unsightly. So they went onto to have a proper fur cap grenade made(abroad I believe), which in itself was just as bad apart from the having the correct shape.

Now here is the mystery part - my large grenade(same as yours) has a black felt backing to it and therefore I can only summise that it was removed from the head dress and was then worn on the apron of the pioneers.

The plastic badge could be bought through Bn PRI shop's, the originals having soft metal blades. I got mine from the 5th Bn, RRF when they first came out. It was to replace those painted black for NI service.

A new black plastic version has begun to appear, but I need to find out whether or not it has been taken into service.

[Alan O]

The plastic one is the 2nd type- the first had a spigot and washer to attach it, the second these brass strip and a pin and the third a pair of fold over alumimium strips. They date from 1970s and are no longer used as there is no requirement for black badges anymore as helmets are the norm.

[1stTankie]

Hi Graham

Many thanks for your reply. somewhere in the back of my mind I had the impression that they were Fusilier Busbies. Obviously not so.

The fixing on the plastic badge is an "unbendable" brass strip, attached with araldite or something similar, with two holes for the pin.

Gordon

[1stTankie]

Originally Posted by Alan O

The plastic one is the 2nd type- the first had a spigot and washer to attach it, the second these brass strip and a pin and the third a pair of fold over alumimium strips. They date from 1970s and are no longer used as there is no requirement for black badges anymore as helmets are the norm.

Hi Alan

Sorry we crossed.

Many thanks for your reply.

Best wishes

Gordon

[grey_green_acorn]

Here is a previous thread showing the black plastic RRF badges worn in Northern Ireland.

Tim

[1stTankie]

Hi Tim

Many thanks, only two to find then!

Gordon

[sigma9r]

Y'all,
While I was in Kuwait, I happened upon a soldier wearing the beret and hackle of Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.
The other officers in the briefing were asking around what it was and what the story was. Being a collector I was elected to ask about the beret and hackle.
I tried to trade him for the beret, hackle and all but I had no Jack Daniels (John to those of us who know him well) to close the deal.
My question is, which of these badges, since my mind is a little cloudy since 2007, are currently worn on the beret. I may have missed it throughout the thread so if so, my apologies.

Tanks,

Wiley Winter
Memphis, Tennessee

[Graham Stewart]

Originally Posted by sigma9r

Y'all,
While I was in Kuwait, I happened upon a soldier wearing the beret and hackle of Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.
The other officers in the briefing were asking around what it was and what the story was. Being a collector I was elected to ask about the beret and hackle.
I tried to trade him for the beret, hackle and all but I had no Jack Daniels (John to those of us who know him well) to close the deal.
My question is, which of these badges, since my mind is a little cloudy since 2007, are currently worn on the beret. I may have missed it throughout the thread so if so, my apologies.

Tanks,

Wiley Winter
Memphis, Tennessee

The officer or other rank that you saw in 2007, was a member of the "Royal Regiment of Fusiliers". If you scroll up you'll see some of their badges as produced by another member(1st Tankie).

The regiment was created in 1968 by the amalgamation of the R.N.F., Royal Fusiliers, *Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers and Lancashire Fusiliers. The RRF combined various parts of the old regimental badges(R.N.F., R.F. and L.F.) into the new badge and adopted the hackle of the R.N.F.. The new regimental buttons were those of the Warwicks.

*The R. Warwickshire Regt were converted to Fusiliers purely for amalgamation purposes.

[sigma9r]

Thanks Graham.
Again, I'm just getting into this line and I'm finding the histories of the units fascinating. But, then, that's why we are here; to learn and be fascinated.

Thanks again,

Wiley