RRF Black Plastic

[Mike H]

Has anybody got any information reference the black plastic badge worn by the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in N.Ireland.
As far as i know,it was only worn for one tour ,but id love to know more.Also what about values ?

[Deejayuu]

Not sure about the details other than the badge was not very popular. Here is the badge i beleive your query relates to.
Cheers, Dave

[grey_green_acorn]

Here is a version issued to 2RRF for a tour in South Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1984/85.

Not popular as the long brass "clip" would often pierce the forehead of the wearer!

[rockape560]

no wonder the badge was unpoplur with that fixing.who ever thought that one up needed shot.it looks dangerous as well as uncomoftable

philip

[54Bty]

Thats two versions shown, only one to go now.

[NEMO]

A mate of mine who has been collecting a good while has one of these and he did a write up years back for one of the badge collectors news letters I will contact him for more details .

If it helps i can remember him saying that for many years these were thought to be WW2 vintage and that to the best of his knowledge they were only issued to the ` advance party ` for the tour of N.I

( the ex regulars will know how many personel are in an advance party as i dont want to guess ?)

but the interesting question is , were a full batch obtained from the suppliers for the whole unit and just a small amount issued ?
regards ,Nemo.

[Alan O]

I think you are mixing up various stories here. These date from the 1970s as the Fusiliers did not wear this badge in WW2 as it was not designed until 1958.

The advance party story relates to the Kings (Liverpool and Manchesters) regt who had a black badge made for an NI tour but it was not a success.

There are 3 versions of theis RRf badge and it was worn for several tours as the fixing was redesigned 3 times. the first one had a plastic prong and washer which fell off, the second had the brass strips and was uncomfortable and the third had the fold over aluminium strips.

Alan

[Paddy]

Mike

Just to complete the set, the plastic prong and washer.

Paddy

[signalman]

As information 3 RRF. N.I. January 1973. Day op's badge and hackle.Undercover night op's no badge.Regimental Policeman and two Fusiliers.Phil.

[tynesideirish]

I spent a total 28 months in NI and these badges were worn most of the time (as hackles were a nightmare and a target).

The PRI plastic ones were not issued and where private purchase. These where flimsy and rapidly replaced by matt black painted AA ones for ease, durability and comfort.

Berets where always worn, helmets where only worn on top cover or riots in the earlier days.

[Staffsyeoman]

I was told by an ex-2/RRF soldier that they were prone to fracture at the junction of the crown and flames. The one I have has that brass prong.

[Eddie Parks]

In the 1970s in South Armagh there was a Hackle Line, running roughly Newry - Bessbrook - Camlough - Newtonhamilton. North of it the hackle was worn, south it wasn't - more importantly north of it vehicles were used, south of it they weren't. In 1974-1975 a vehicle was only used in that area once. It made a run from Crossmaglen to Bessbrook and back - on the way back 45 minutes later it was blown up and the commander died.
Eddie

[Alan O]

http://www.regimentalbadges.com/r-re...dge_item_10556

A previously unrecorded slidered JR Gaunt London version.

[grenadierguardsman]

That JR Gaunt London badge looks the better one to wear. The other two must have been designed by high ranking Officer's.
Andy

[Hussar100]

Originally Posted by Eddie Parks

In the 1970s in South Armagh there was a Hackle Line, running roughly Newry - Bessbrook - Camlough - Newtonhamilton. North of it the hackle was worn, south it wasn't - more importantly north of it vehicles were used, south of it they weren't. In 1974-1975 a vehicle was only used in that area once. It made a run from Crossmaglen to Bessbrook and back - on the way back 45 minutes later it was blown up and the commander died.
Eddie

First of all let me say I have never seen such an impractical badge fastening. The old slider was simple but it worked.

I was familiar with what you call the "Hackle Line" many of us in the UDR were as the local platoon had all either been murdered, sometimes in diabolical fashion, or left through fear and intimidation. After Ulsterisation they started sending the 9th Bn in first, because they saw the least action of the entire regiment but that slowly built into the Ops Platoons of all the battalions in 3 Bde area being sent in and later when the permanent Rifle Companies were formed it became a roulemont for us.

No vehicles, except in the direst of emergencies, like when we were fogged in at NTH just before Christmas 1985, 7/10 Bn came in the back of a large maroon furniture van and we went out in it. Choppers couldn't fly because of the fog you see?