Royal Wessex Yeomanry, badges and insignia question

[3dg]

Does anyone please have an example of the new metal Royal Wessex Yeomanry cap badge, that they wouldn't mind sending a photo of please. Is the badge black anodised or metal? Also, was there a cloth badge before it? And are the Squadrons retaining their original collar badges or are there new ones? Thank you for your time

[Mike H]

I can tell you that the original batch of badges were all scrapped off. Theres an image on the net of a guy wearing a beret with a black/grey badge. Apparently ,this was a knock up made from plastic and glued together then sprayed up.
I did have a convo with a guy at the GH squadron in Cirencester and im sure he said they were still in Sqn badges until the new one was sorted. This was a while ago. So this may have now changed.

[Alan O]

http://www.wessex-rfca.org.uk/royal-...e-bigger-role/

Here you go.

The officers wore a cloth badge on the parade.

[Beckford]

The RWxY was issued with new cap/beret badges to replace the old squadron badges on 5 July 2014. The other ranks version is in a black and bright metal finish, officers is embroidered. Not sure if the OR's version is painted staybrite or metal - looks like metal to me. Interestingly, in March 2014, the Army Dress Committee approved the new badge for all ranks, but in red, yellow and blue - no mention of black/metal!
The squadron collar dogs have been retained - Dorset, Wiltshire & Royal Devon Yeo, Royal Glos Hussars.
New Dress Regs for the RWxY were approved in Sept/Oct 2015; the version submitted for approval further changed these badges but the approval was subject to some 'minor amendments', but I don't know what these were - see https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...1-Redacted.pdf.
In the draft submitted, the officers'/WO1 badge was to be a silver wire embroidered Wessex dragon and the ORs' version the fully coloured metal and enamel version of the previous officers' embroidered version.
In the draft Dress Regs, the collar dogs were to be silver (officers & WO1 silver aa for all squadrons except C (RGH) which were to be gold aa. RHQ to wear inward facing Wessex dragons in silver (officers/WO1s) and silver aa (ORs).
As an aside - new regimental stable belts (Badminton blue/buff/Badminton blue, with tanned buckles) were issued in August 2016. The TRF is also being changed from the broken spur on red and buff diamond to a full spur on Badminton blue and buff diamond.

[REME245]

I understand the original badges were purchased by the commanding officer and the official issue ones were to arrive at a later date. Quite if these are now on line I do not know but I know that all of Wiltshire's Cadets badged to RWY are receiving RAC badges due to problems with the supply of the official Ordnance version.

Just a pity that the Commanding Officer ignored the Wyvern to represent Wessex and chose a Dragon or Griffin whatever it is meant to be instead.

At least the Wyvern is now back in use again for personal attached to South West region.

[3dg]

Thanks for all responses, so its a wait out to see what the OR's is like. Very odd I thought to have a black badge on a black backing, very dull, a lot nicer if it was the enameled red blue etc, simaler to how the Dorset Yeo have them. Also, as mentioned, no wyvern? Its the Somerset dragon on the new badge isn't it?

[Alan O]

Yes that is the Somerset Dragon. Why they went for that and not the Wessex Bde 2 legged Wyvern is a mystery. The Yeomanry has Sqns based in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Tps in Devon but not in Somerset!

[REME245]

I think it was basically the Commanding Officers preference but ignored a lot of tradition and history.