Ideas wanted for a display

[Shiny]

Hi All,

I'm trying to put together a sort of family tree display using cap badges to represent people.

The army ones are fairly easy but I'm starting to wonder about the navy relatives. Cap tallies take up a lot of room, the named one's are proving quite difficult to get and I don't really want to put a lot of HMS one's in.

I've got a stokers badge for one of the men but that's quite big so I was wondering if anyone could suggest any other ideas of things to use?

The men are from ww1 and ww2 era, when did the round cap badges with the anchor come into use?

Thanks for the help,

Michael

[Jelly Terror]

Originally Posted by Shiny

Hi All,

I'm trying to put together a sort of family tree display using cap badges to represent people.

The army ones are fairly easy but I'm starting to wonder about the navy relatives. Cap tallies take up a lot of room, the named one's are proving quite difficult to get and I don't really want to put a lot of HMS one's in.

I've got a stokers badge for one of the men but that's quite big so I was wondering if anyone could suggest any other ideas of things to use?

The men are from ww1 and ww2 era, when did the round cap badges with the anchor come into use?

Thanks for the help,

Michael

Why not supplant cap badges/tallies of RN ancestors, with ships badges, or even badge-sized images of ships/shore establishments etc., they served in? Say first or last ship, or perhaps one they were with during a battle?

Just an idea.

JT.

[Alex Rice]

What ranks were they for a start? Rating seamen would have worn cap ribbons, artificers would have worn red-embroidered badges, PO's bullion badges, etc.
If you tell us what each person served as, we could maybe suggest more fitting badges for the display.
Incidentally, I think it's a great idea
Cheers,
Alex

[Phil2M]

Or use buttons instead of badges for the RN members?

[Nozzer]

Originally Posted by Shiny

The men are from ww1 and ww2 era, when did the round cap badges with the anchor come into use?

1976

[Mike_2817]

Sailors changed ships etc, so use of a currant RN Fouled Anchor may well be a useful compromise for those at sea or a WWI RN Infantry Division cap badge if in the trenches.

[RCN]

Michael it might help if you give us a some more information on your naval ancestors, what ranks & rates they might have held (one you say was a Stoker?) & if you wish to use cap ribbons what ships they served on.

The RN rank & rate (tombstone style) badges can be quite large, excepting the Supply/Writer/Cook/Steward rate stars, which are smaller. I guess using those would depend upon the space you might have available for your display.

Bryan

[Shiny]

Hi All,

There's some great ideas there. There are three men I'm interested in at the moment.

Alexander English was a leading stoker, he joined in 1904 and left just after the war broke out in 1914. He served on HMS Pembroke 2, King Alfred, Antrim, Edgar, Warrior, Dido, Vindictive, Cyclops, St. George, Diamond and Natal.

Matthew Beck was on HMS Ajax during WW2. Family story has it that he was blown up on her when she went back to sea after the refit following the battle of the river plate, that would have been in early 1940. I don't know a rank or trade for him.

Alexander English Hall was in the RNR(T) and served on HMT Island Prince as a deck hand. I haven't been able to find out much more about him yet but I'm trying.

These are the RN men I've found so far but I'm sure there are more out there waiting.

Thanks for the help,

Michael