Royal Marine or Royal Naval Division Gunnery Badge?

[Paddy]

Hello All

I've just bought the badge pictured below, it was sold as a Royal Marines gunnery badge but I just want to be certain that it is RM and not RND. My main reason for querying is the darkness of the thread used for the crossed barrels. The RM badges on khaki that I have seen tend to be more of a white thread but this one is brown. Either way I don't mind as I collect to both RM & RND but would just like to be sure either way.

Many thanks

Paddy

[Sonofacqms]

Paddy,

Did the RND have a gunnery section?

As far as I'm aware they were in an infantry role.

Rob

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Sonofacqms

Paddy,

Did the RND have a gunnery section?

As far as I'm aware they were in an infantry role.

Rob

Rob, the RND had all the support arms of any other Division, some arty came from the RMA, but most was RFA, etc.

[Danny]

Hi,
I have a couple of RM badges on khaki where they have used the darker colour thread.

I have yet to find out when and why they reversed the colours.

Regards

Danny

1 (112) ed.jpg 1 (114) ed.jpg

5 (11) ed.jpg 5 (37) ed.jpg

[Paddy]

Rob

Good question, I thought I had seen some pictures in the past of RND wearing gunnery badges but I can't find them so it may just be my memory playing tricks on me. Hopefully one of the RND cloth experts can confirm either way.

Toby - Many thanks

Danny - Nice badges, if you have any spares that you want to sell or trade then please keep me in mind.

Not sure if it bears any relevance to the change in thread colour but Royal Marine Routine Order RMRO 129 of 1952 states that the Commandant General decided that all worsted badges and chevrons worn on khaki battledress were to be whitened with blanco, white ink or other suitable substance approved by Commanding Officers.

Admiralty Fleet Order AFO 2550 of 1955 lists all the RM specialist badges after a review and they mention white on khaki badges in there so the change from dark to white thread may have started around 1952.

Paddy

[Danny]

Hello Paddy,
Thanks very much for that information.

If I get any spares I will be in touch.

Regards

Danny