R. Munster Fusiliers possible officers forage cap badge

[John Mulcahy]

I believe this is a good officers cap badge but have not handled many so I would appreciate all comments.

Iintroduced first for the field cap and by 1904 authorized also for the universal pattern forage cap.

some gilt remains on the flames but is gone from the ball, the loops have been broken and the badge brooched. J.R.Gaunt London on the back of the ball of the grenade.

[MH331]

John,

I am less of an expert than you but it looks to be an honest badge which has been converted to a sweetheart (officers wife/girlfriend?) The construction and striking seems sharp and the quality very good. A really nice badge!

regards

Mark

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by John Mulcahy

I believe this is a good officers cap badge but have not handled many so I would appreciate all comments.

Iintroduced first for the field cap and by 1904 authorized also for the universal pattern forage cap.

some gilt remains on the flames but is gone from the ball, the loops have been broken and the badge brooched. J.R.Gaunt London on the back of the ball of the grenade.

John, there was some key indicator as to date according to how the GAUNT label reads but I forget what it was.

Be wary though, the method of fixing the tiger and the gilding is exactly like that on repro badges sold to RWF by JR GAUNT in the 1980s. They were good quality and had a slider with the companies label inscribed/stamped.

[John Mulcahy]

Thanks for the input Toby and I shall certainly bear the RWF info in mind.

Most of the pre WW2 officers badges I have seen appear to have this method of fixing one piece to another. Jennens appear however to have used pins a lot rather than these bent over wires.

I have searched through the Gaunt marks on line here but am not much the wiser. A similiar mark is on the forum on a Green Howards badge. The mark is approx 2.9mm high and 6.8 wide (width is approximate as it is impossible to get a linear measurement). The badge itself is slightly larger that the "average" I have for the O/R equivalent pattern 4642 being approx. 0.5mm higher and almost 1mm wider.

Would appreciate any other comments.

John

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by John Mulcahy

Thanks for the input Toby and I shall certainly bear the RWF info in mind.

Most of the pre WW2 officers badges I have seen appear to have this method of fixing one piece to another. Jennens appear however to have used pins a lot rather than these bent over wires.

I have searched through the Gaunt marks on line here but am not much the wiser. A similiar mark is on the forum on a Green Howards badge. The mark is approx 2.9mm high and 6.8 wide (width is approximate as it is impossible to get a linear measurement). The badge itself is slightly larger that the "average" I have for the O/R equivalent pattern 4642 being approx. 0.5mm higher and almost 1mm wider.

Would appreciate any other comments.

John

Yes I am aware that the officers badges often used the bent over pin method to secure the device to the ball of the grenade, largely because the badges were not intended to be cleaned.

In the case of the RWF version I had to add a blob of solder to each pin in the REME wksp so that it was secure and could be cleaned. Of course the gilding/lacquer then came off and the badge shone in a normal manner.

I read somewhere on this site that the GAUNT label had full stops at some point, but also did not and that one of these methods was used on the collectors badges made in the 1980s. I am sorry that I cannot find it now.