Anodised ILH Band Badge..unique?

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi Guys

I picked up this ILH Anodised Cap Badge today more out of curiosity than anything else. However on getting home I found it in Andrews Dinnes's book number 721. He has it as 1970's ILH Bandsmans badge manufactured in the UK. It was incorrectly manufactured using the Imperial Badge Pattern with Union Jack and not the SADF era pattern with the SA National flag!

I suspect this is the one and only anodised badge ever issued for SA Forces albeit a citizen force unit band cap badge, does anyone know of another?

Brian

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Brian,
How very odd, very interesting too, was it expensive?
Regards Frank

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Hi Guys

I picked up this ILH Anodised Cap Badge today more out of curiosity than anything else. However on getting home I found it in Andrews Dinnes's book number 721. He has it as 1970's ILH Bandsmans badge manufactured in the UK. It was incorrectly manufactured using the Imperial Badge Pattern with Union Jack and not the SADF era pattern with the SA National flag!

I suspect this is the one and only anodised badge ever issued for SA Forces albeit a citizen force unit band cap badge, does anyone know of another?

Brian

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi Frank

No, just the average price of a normal SADF badge out here.

I had never seen one before and initially thought it was a British badge and was rather surprised to see it was an ILH badge. I like oddities which explains my interest in cast badges.

I hope Andrew or someone else can enlighten us with some more info regards this batch of badges, such as numbers, maker etc

Brian

[iaindh]

Hi Brian,
well done, good find. I haven't actually seen one before although I have seen it in Andrew's book.

regards, Iain

Originally Posted by Brian Conyngham

Hi Guys

I picked up this ILH Anodised Cap Badge today more out of curiosity than anything else. However on getting home I found it in Andrews Dinnes's book number 721. He has it as 1970's ILH Bandsmans badge manufactured in the UK. It was incorrectly manufactured using the Imperial Badge Pattern with Union Jack and not the SADF era pattern with the SA National flag!

I suspect this is the one and only anodised badge ever issued for SA Forces albeit a citizen force unit band cap badge, does anyone know of another?

Brian

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Brian.
Well, I like it very much, I also think it very important to remember that a number of officers of this regiment "incorrectly" wore the royal standard and union flag of a foreign power for a good few years in the final quarter of the 20th Century.
Kind regards Frank

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi Frank

Yes, you are 100% right about the badges of the Union period were worn into the Republic era.

Being based with 84 Motorised Brigade in Durban during my National Service in the late 70's, I saw many of the Citizen Force units still following on with traditions from the previous Union era. The carrying of swords by some of the units being one. I recall a number of the Afrikaans permanent force guys moaning like stuffed pigs, when witnessing sword practice on the parade ground! As no formal training was done in the SADF, all the young officers had to be given instructions in the carrying of swords....we used to have a good laugh seeing it was the RSM that was giving the lessons, and he obviously enjoyed giving these young officers a hard time!

Good memories.

Brian

[Frank Kelley]

Hello Brian,
It's a nice badge, I think I may have the get one because of it's design, though of course not the period that is normally of interest!
Do you miss those days you mention, or are you happy they are behind you now?
Regards again Frank

[Traist]

Hi Brian, as far as I could work out, they were only made for the band and only 1 batch was made. Regards Andrew

[Traist]

Hi Frank, the term we normally use is "Those were the best days of my life that I never want to have again." I think as we get older the bad memories of the days in the army seem to fade and the good memories become better. Regards Andrew

[Brian Conyngham]

Originally Posted by Traist

Hi Frank, the term we normally use is "Those were the best days of my life that I never want to have again." I think as we get older the bad memories of the days in the army seem to fade and the good memories become better. Regards Andrew

Thanks Andrew for the info, do you know how big that batch was?

Frank

I think Andrew has summed it up perfectly. Strangely...."Always Remember the Good Times" is the name given to my memoirs of my time in the Army. It is basically a rough draft that needs cleaning up, when I get some time. I add to it every now and again when I remember another incident be it funny, tragic etc

One thing I can say is that I am glad I did "my bit" when I did! Would hate to serve now when I see what is going on in the "new" army.

Regards
Brian

[REMEVMBEA1]

Originally Posted by Traist

Hi Frank, the term we normally use is "Those were the best days of my life that I never want to have again." I think as we get older the bad memories of the days in the army seem to fade and the good memories become better. Regards Andrew

How true that is , I think it's because the good times ,with good mates, outnumbered the bad times and you only remember of few of those NCOs whose purpose in life seemed to be to make everyone else's life a misery.

[Brian Conyngham]

Yes, "those NCO's" who most of the time on earth had never been anything in life before the army, and once they put up a stripe or three, decided they had finally found their goal in life that being to #%^* everyone around that they could!

Out here is SA we had an added problem... we few Englishmen very often took the brunt of some Afrikaans Corporals, many of whom were still living in the Boer War. It appeared they all seemed to have had a family member whom had been incarcerated in a concentration camp....and thus made our life a misery on top of all the other nonsense that came with basic training!

BC

[Frank Kelley]

LOL Brian,
How awful, I don't think I'd have enjoyed life in the SADF, perhaps you could have made things rather worse and told these Afrikaner's what members of your own family might have been doing in the Anglo Boer War!
I suppose that with some 26,000 dead women and children, many of these NCO's you mention, would indeed have had family members in the camps.
Kind regards Frank

QUOTE=Brian Conyngham;275032]Yes, "those NCO's" who most of the time on earth had never been anything in life before the army, and once they put up a stripe or three, decided they had finally found their goal in life that being to #%^* everyone around that they could!

Out here is SA we had an added problem... we few Englishmen very often took the brunt of some Afrikaans Corporals, many of whom were still living in the Boer War. It appeared they all seemed to have had a family member whom had been incarcerated in a concentration camp....and thus made our life a misery on top of all the other nonsense that came with basic training!

BC[/QUOTE]

[Brian Conyngham]

Found this 1982 Durban Tattoo poster at a mates place clearly showing the anodised badge on the pith helmet, I will endevour to get a better copy, looks like there were also collar dogs made as well?

Brian