Chrome R Irish !?

[red rags]

This badge is mentioned in K&K 2725 (nickel silver) but I am unaware it was ever worn, certainly not through the many yrs I was with the Regt.

It resembles the COPY all brass cap badge reproduced to simulate that originally worn by SNCO's of 8 UDR at the order of a Gds RSM in 1986-7.

[Mike H]

Interesting question, I have the anodised with slider ,anodised with lugs in silver, anodised slider in gold(home service) and the nickel silver with the green between the harp strings.
Is there a makers mark on the slider ? Mike

[irishhorse]

The Royal Ulster Rifles museum were selling these some years ago.

[red rags]

I was there when we changed from Rangers to RIrish -
1st badge silver anod for OR's, HM silver (Edinburgh?) for officers, both caubeen. Silver badge was about £30 from PRI, all long gone yrs ago. Cast in black sand which was a pig to remove for initial cleaning.
BOTH HS & GS wore 'UDR' beret badge until 2000's, can't remember without checking journals exactly when, but TC hated the UDR & their beret & sacked it around Iraq invasion, although only removed from dress regs quite recently for working dress. Unissued berets were sold off for charity.
Anod with lugs is MUCH less common but OK, I think it was the 1992 issue, the FAT badge with the slider came later, also the UDR cap badges ran out & a FAT gold anod exists, quite late.
The green cold enamel is the current badge, the GS even hated the shape of the old 'UDR' RIRISH badge & again around TC's time it was adopted. Noticeably skinnier.
The Funnyiest one is the pipers new intermediate badge. When, I think it was Firmin, did the new enamel ones they enameled the old pattern 'UDR' shape sil. plated RIRISH type but these were all REJECTED, about 100 exist, & the new skinny larger version of the caubeen badge was produced. For some strange reason the 3rd lug is usually chopped off by pipers, speed of cleaning I suppose. I'm tone deaf so it's all a mystery to me.
In 1992 the pipe majors collected those UDR pipers badges they could RECOVER! & had them 'silver' plated.
The PRI still sells/manufactures a lot of these inc many obsolete items so sadly ones items are not necessarily contemporaneous! A new UDR gilt brass cap badge is being sold by them at £5 & at first glance looks like a 1970-3 officers UDR SD cap badge, a fine thing but sadly new! Heavy die cast by the look of it.
Caveat emptor.
The 'UDR CGC' badges are a LONG story for another day...but those who can't wait, see article in recent MHS journal. In answer to question of maker - unmarked.

[red rags]

This is the late FAT version of the beret badge, NEVER worn by the UDR, who had slimer versions.
Maker was Toye, Kenning & Spencer.
Beret went for GS 2002-3 according to journals, 1st pic of caubeen in everyday wear is Iraq.
On a separate note, with hindsight, we always looked down on the UDR CGC (particularly P/T element, who looked down on the Perm. Cadre, touch of the Frost report creeping in here).
But from 1992 the HS element actually had more intense training than the GS!
In fact they were only seperated for two weeks at the depot. While the GS recruits cleaned the camp, the HS spent two weeks in the tin village & NIRTT etc.
Naturally they faced the onslaught of NI usually yrs earlier, the DAY they lefty the depot.
And, with all units now much more static than the glory days who would dare deride the Regiment who spent longer in a theater of war than ANY other in the history of the Brit. Army. Around one man killed per platoon & over 1000 decorations, not forgetting the CGC the Regt. was awarded, the first British Gallantry award made to a unit of the British Army, forget your C de G's & PUC's. I rest their case. What a pity the CGC arm ribbon remains unofficial, probably as what were GS aren't 'qualified' to wear it.

[Alan O]

From personal memory the 1st Bn RIrish were already wearing the caubeen in combats at the end of 2002, before the deployment to Iraq started in Feb/Mar 2003.

[altcar73]

Originally Posted by red rags

This is the late FAT version of the beret badge, NEVER worn by the UDR, who had slimer versions.
Maker was Toye, Kenning & Spencer.
Beret went for GS 2002-3 according to journals, 1st pic of caubeen in everyday wear is Iraq.
On a separate note, with hindsight, we always looked down on the UDR CGC (particularly P/T element, who looked down on the Perm. Cadre, touch of the Frost report creeping in here).
But from 1992 the HS element actually had more intense training than the GS!
In fact they were only seperated for two weeks at the depot. While the GS recruits cleaned the camp, the HS spent two weeks in the tin village & NIRTT etc.
Naturally they faced the onslaught of NI usually yrs earlier, the DAY they lefty the depot.
And, with all units now much more static than the glory days who would dare deride the Regiment who spent longer in a theater of war than ANY other in the history of the Brit. Army. Around one man killed per platoon & over 1000 decorations, not forgetting the CGC the Regt. was awarded, the first British Gallantry award made to a unit of the British Army, forget your C de G's & PUC's. I rest their case. What a pity the CGC arm ribbon remains unofficial, probably as what were GS aren't 'qualified' to wear it.

red rags,

Very interesting information. Regrettably spoilt (for me) by the use of meaningless (for me) in the main, abbreviations. Its always worth while bearing in mind that not all members of the forum are ex forces. You've spent a lot of time describing the various badges and despite my comments, I thank you.

Dave.

[red rags]

Dear All, Maker of the ugly brass 'copy' badge, although worn so copy moot, was Gaunt, the chrome version, if ever worn! & sold by PRI, mainly to public is the same die...I found an anod. version in gold with maker on Fri. NEVER worn by UDR.
One kind member informed me of the Ranger badge he has made & packeted in 'o4...again to stop the IRA shooting TA they were not cap badged RI until post Op Banner.

[hagwalther]

Hi Guys,

Here is a non-enamleled version of the Royal Irish Regt cap badge for 'All Ranks' that was authorised before the green enamel version.

NSN 8455-99-978-8768
Pattern No. 24646

The original packaging is dated 27 July 2006.

Note the badge has lugs.

I hope this is of interest and 'on topic' as like alkar73 I could not follow red rags posting.

However, I do believe the slider version is a repro.

Excuse poor image quality but I am often out of Internet range most days of the week and this is the best I can currently come up with.

Regards,

Chris

[red rags]

Which ones need clarification?