Armband Identification

[Blue Puttees]

The soldier on the far left of this photograph is wearing an armband on his sleeve? What is this armband?

[Bill A]

From the uniform and head dress details, the image appears to be of the 85th Battalion. The armband appears to be sewn to the tunic, given the lance corporals chevron is sewn on over the coloured strip of cloth. As to the actual significance of the coloured strip, it is still somewhat of a mystery as to exactly what they represent. A vertical red strip on a tunic was recorded as signifying trench raider.

[Blue Puttees]

Thanks Bill.

[fairlie63]

It might relate to some of the armlets approved early in 1917 which were to be 1 and one half inches wide in the following colours to denote duties -
Battalion scouts - green
Battalion runners - red
Regimental and company signallers - blue
Carrying parties - yellow
Mopping up parties - white

They do appear in Instructions for the Training of Divisions in Offensive Action in June 1917 but are in Australian instructions issued in January and February 1917.

New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches, 1911-1991, Part One, p.19, has a picture of two men from 1 Bn NZRB wearing 4" wide armlets in yellow, stating that they were battalion runners.

I believe that instructors at the MG School (UK?) also wore a yellow band but am unaware of the size, personnel employed on sanitary duties also wore a yellow band, post Great War this was 4" but I am not certain of Great War size.

The fact that the chevron is sewn over it suggests it was of a permanent nature, rather than those listed in Training of Divisions.

Keith

[Blue Puttees]

Thank you Keith for this information.

This tunic was part of a group which recently sold on eBay.

[Bill A]

Another puzzle. There are some questions about that tunic. The TORONTO flashes were worn by the 3rd Bn, not an MG battalon. Machine Gun battalions did not have a scouting section on their order of battle, so, if the band of cloth is green, it either represents something different than scouting or it had some other purpose.

[fairlie63]

Have another source here, HQ 7 Aust Inf Bde instruction dated 3 September 1917 exhorting the units of that brigade to complete any deficiencies in arms and equipment at once.
White arm bands for moppers-up are mentioned on a scale of 400 per battalion, to be made of white calico.
The interesting item though is No 7, colours of specialists, which lists Purple for Lewis gunners, Black for bombers, Black and Red for rifle bombers, and Yellow for riflemen.
These were to be indented for at once. Are these armbands for the specialist groups of men of each platoon, either to identify them in action or for the process of training, I don't know.
It may be just a 2 Aust Div thing. I will look further in the brigade and battalion war diaries for this period.

[Bill A]

A question regarding the wearing of these armbands. Would the colours not be consistent across the British and Empire forces? Using different colours by different Dominions and Colonial forces under the BEF would certainly lead to confusion.

[fairlie63]

Bill, I think we would have conformed to British practices. I couldn't find further reference to those specialists colours in the bde and bn war diaries I did look at but I gather that these were probably in relation to training of platoons in the new organization and were not an operational thing or worn permanently.
The operations orders did not mention them but I did find that during attacks under Special Marks the bns of 2 Aust Div had a diamond either sewn or painted on the backs of their helmets in a colour according to their objective, for instance the bns assaulting the first line used red, second objective used blue, third green, etc.
I'm assuming the white armbands for moppers up, etc, were permanent during operations. The 7 Aust Inf Bde ops orders clearly define sub-units as carriers, mopping up parties, etc.

[Bill A]

Agreed. It would be counter-intuitive to create a unique system for each of the Dominions.
Interesting note regarding the "objective" patching. It is reported the Newfoundland Regiment wore a shiney tin circle on their backs at Beaumont Hamel.

[Blue Puttees]

Bill:

If a 3rd Battalion soldier was transferred to another unit during WW I, did he have to remove the TORONTO flashes or could he continue to wear them in his new unit? Were there any regulations concerning this matter? Thank you.

[Blue Puttees]

Bill, will this subject be covered in your forth coming book FABRIC OF WAR CANADA?

[Bill A]

The Fabric of War will detail the history of the cloth (embroidered, printed, worsted, etc) shoulder titles in the Canadian army circa 1900 through unification. The coloured strips discussed here are a trade/skill at arms badge.