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#1
05-09-17, 02:27 PM
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Pre-1920 Engineering CPO badge
Hi All
A recently listed pre-1920 CPO badge has me a bit intrigued and I'd like the opinions of the experts. Engineers were considered Civil Branch and as such the badges were all gold wire with a gilt anchor on a purple backing, unlike the Seaman Branch which was gold and silver wire. In 1915 the branch distinctions were done away with and all departments started wearing standard gold & silver wire badges and the purple backing for engineers was discontinued. A new listing online has an Engineering CPOs badge on purple but with gold and silver wire embroidery. Any idea why this would be like that? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122684744450?ul_noapp=true Cheers, Alex 
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#3
10-09-17, 05:01 PM
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Hi Alex
Can't really help you with this one but I think you meant to say that the branch distinctions were done away with in 1918 - not 1915. Volume II of Coleman's 'Rank and Rate' shows cap badges worn by engineering ratings of the RNVR switching from a gold anchor to a silver anchor (but retaining the purple background) in 1915. These were in use from 1915-18. Perhaps this was some sort of wartime economy measure? This is one that obviously needs a bit more reserch! Pete
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#4
10-09-17, 05:22 PM
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Alex
I've just had a thought. Engineering Officers became part of the Military Branch at the beginning of 1915, so presumably engineering ratings also became part of the Military Branch at the same time - you couldn't really have a branch where the officers were part of the Military Branch and the ratings they controlled part of the Civil Branch. If that was the case they would have been expected to adopt Military Branch cap badges instead of Civil Branch badges. Perhaps this just wasn't feasible during wartime or there simply existed too large a stock of Civil Branch style badges, or their constutuent parts, to discard and which had to be used up. Then, as these stocks began to decrease, there appeared a sort of hybrid badge where the purple backing was completed with silver anchors, etc. And it wasn't untill 1918 that they were finally able to complete the change over to the Military Branch badge. Just an idea! All guesswork I'm afraid! And, to complicate matters further, I've also seen pictures of engineering ratings who continued to wear their purple badges until well into the 1920s. I guess they just didn't want to give up their unique insignia! Pete Last edited by Guzzman; 10-09-17 at 05:27 PM. Reason: Spelling!
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#5
10-09-17, 08:00 PM
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Quote:
As I say, I'm iggerent when it comes to these insignia, but my initial thought upon seeing that extremely plump & padded badge was..................?
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#9
19-09-17, 12:30 PM
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genuine badge and seller is known to me ,had some good buys of him
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#10
19-09-17, 08:26 PM
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Engineers Cap Badge
The badge is genuine. Gold anchor, purple background, three red jewels in the crown (changed to two red and one blue in 1922) The badge was discontinued in 1918 as engineers took on the silver anchor. Note that Engineer Officer's and civil list also had a gold anchor and all gold crown with three red jewels until 1918.
The badge for Chief Petty Officer. Petty Officer's wore fore and aft rig until 1922, when confirmed POs adopted the badge with one ring and CPOs received a badge with laurels wreaths around it.
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