Reinforced RTR beret badge

[Chacal]

While sorting through a recently purchased lot of badges I noticed that this Royal Tank Regiment beret badge has had reinforcing added to the join between crown and wreath. I have seen other badges which have been given additional strengthening added to the reverse, but this is a new one for me and I thought it might be of interest.

Graham

[magpie]

That's only the 3rd one I can remember seeing, perhaps something to do with the the one with the slider and the crowns breaking off, the other badge had a slider then replaced with lugs, maybe someone who's more in to the RTR knows the answer.

[Chacal]

Thank you Magpie, interesting to see others - though mine looks like it may have been a Friday job

All the best

Graham

[FMT600]

I have only ever had two examples of this badge with the reinforcements, both on lugs, one of which I have retained in my RTR collection and the other I passed on to a gentleman at Pudsey the last time I was there.

Cheers,
FMT600

[Frank Kelley]

I would say, actually quite scarce and very nice indeed.

Originally Posted by Chacal

While sorting through a recently purchased lot of badges I noticed that this Royal Tank Regiment beret badge has had reinforcing added to the join between crown and wreath. I have seen other badges which have been given additional strengthening added to the reverse, but this is a new one for me and I thought it might be of interest.

Graham

[David Tremain]

Interesting to see the reinforcement. My wife's cousin, who was in the Lord Strathcona's, broke the crown off his while climbing out of the turret of a tank. Too bad, as it's silver (he was an officer). The good news is that he gave me another, also silver, which is complete with crown. If there had been a reinforcement it might not have got broken.

It puts a new spin on the order, "Send reinforcements!"

David

[Chacal]

Thank you for all your comments chaps, appreciated as always.

Graham

[fearnaught]

Hi Graham and Magpie, the badges are all from the same manufacturer. They obviously had some problems with the crowns. Also at differing times or on different production lines used different spacing of the lugs, so the reinforcing of the crown, which incidentally I do not have, was done on the wide spaced lug example. The replacement of the slider was done with what I call the medium lug spacing. The wide spacing also appears on plated brass versions of this badge. I think either the mold or the manufacturer was quite prolific as I have 9 variants of this badge, hope this helps, Mike

[Chacal]

Thanks Mike, interesting how some badge designs have structural problems whereas others are fine.

All the best

Graham

[fearnaught]

Hi Graham, the problem with the tank badge and slider was well known from the 1924 badge but the War Office still insisted after the war to reintroduce sliders. Maybe the replacement slider ones come from this period? As to the time period of the reinforced crown, I have no idea, but presumably when labour was cheap. The reinforcing appears to be cut down lugs, is that the case? Best wishes Mike

[magpie]

The reinforcements are brass and too small for lug material, I thought it may have been a mod put on the manufacture specs for slidered badges to solve the weakness problem and left on after going to lugs for a batch/order or two.

[Chacal]

As Magpie says the reinforcing metal is brass and too thin to have been used for lugs (probably about a third of the diameter of the lug).

Graham

[fearnaught]

Hi, I was thinking that they were actually a repair on badges broken during manufacture, but you have the badges, maybe they were done as reinforcement? Here are images of that style, the C is just my nomenclature for that style. Best wishes Mike

[Frank Kelley]

Those are nice, I have never really bothered to look in detail at these badges, but, I think I will in the future examine every example I see.

Originally Posted by fearnaught

Hi, I was thinking that they were actually a repair on badges broken during manufacture, but you have the badges, maybe they were done as reinforcement? Here are images of that style, the C is just my nomenclature for that style. Best wishes Mike

[fearnaught]

Hi Frank, I hope you like rivet counting, best wishes Mike