ACF wearing Wessex Brigade/Regiment Cap badge

[REME245]

This picture appears to show's members of the Wiltshire ACF wearing the Wessex Brigade/Regiment Wyvern cap badge.

If indeed I am interpreting it correctly does anyone know how long it was worn by this County and if any others wore the badge?

[Alan O]

http://somersetarmycadetforce.co.uk/he1/he2.html

According to Somerset ACF, the ACF cadets wore their local TA regts insignia up to 1968. I know for a fact that Dorset ACF were back wearing D&D cap badges in the 1980s although the TA regt was the Wessex Regt and wore the Wyvern.

[REME245]

Most including Wiltshire as far as I was aware retained their old County Cap Badges up untill the demise of the old TA in 1967. I assumed they then went straight across to the D of E.

[crest-insignia]

We wore it on the Isle of Wight, early seventies, before re-badging to RCT about 1972(?).

Got quite nostalgic when joining the TA in 1977 and being badged . . .
. . Wessex!

[Ian Adams]

I can help here on a personal level. My brother was in the Bristol Clifton ACF in the early seventies.
He wore the aluminium gold Wessex cap badge on his black beret. The embroidered Gloucestershire yellow sphinx on black shield on one arm and the embroidered Somerset gold on green wyvern shield on the other arm.

[REME245]

It sounds like a few counties wore it for a period.

The poster of the picture is suggesting that it is early 60's but I would tend to suggest later.

One of my detachments locally has just rebadged to RTR.

[REME245]

I have since learnt that with a few exceptions all of Wiltshire rebadged to DERR in 1976 so this leaves 9 years gap between the disbandment of the TA Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment and this.

An enquiry to their HQ has not been responded to but sense would seem to suggest the Wyvern was worn during this period. I would find it hard to believe they carried on wearing the badge of a disbanded regiment.

[REME245]

Spoke to an ex-Wiltshire cadet and who later served as an adult today who confirmed that he wore the Wessex Brigade Cap Badge for a number of years.

This appears to answer my original question and most Wessex Counties would appear to have worn it for a while.