sussex yeomanry - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Pompey · #1 01-10-17, 03:35 PM

Hello, just registered on this forum and know nothing about military insignia, so go easy on me. My dad was in the 98th Field Regiment RA, Queen Marys from 1939 until 1947. My kids don't know anything about their grandads service during the war, so I am trying to put together a display in a frame of his medals and insignia etc.
My question is what would his cap badge have looked like, I have a picture but can't quite make it out. I know what his collar badge is like as that is clear in the picture. I have one from Ebay, but would like to get a cap badge too! I will try to put a picture of the collar badge later and perhaps someone can tell me if it is fake or not. Thanks!

Pompey · #2 01-10-17, 05:43 PM

Here is the collar badge I bought from Ebay, is it fake? It was sold as original.
Would the cap badge have been the same but with a scroll at the bottom!

leigh kitchen · #3 01-10-17, 05:55 PM

The cap badge worn looks like it's the Royal Sussex Regiment.

manchesters · #4 01-10-17, 06:26 PM

The cap badge of the 391st (Sussex Yeomanry) Battery, 98th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Army Field Regiment R.A. (T.A.) in that period was supposed to be the Royal Artillery cap badge, but, they continued to wear their Sussex Yeomanry cap badge, which is what I think he is wearing in the photo.

It looks just the same as the collar badge that you can see.

regards

Alan O · #5 01-10-17, 07:07 PM

The collar is original.

Hoot · #6 01-10-17, 07:45 PM

The cap badge is the same design as the collar but with a scroll added at the bottom carrying the title SUSSEX YEOMANRY.

Pompey · #7 01-10-17, 08:26 PM

Thanks, Thought that was the case, I will try to get one with the scroll on. He did leave me a RA badge though, would that have ever been worn.

Alan O · #8 02-10-17, 07:11 AM

If that was the badge he left you then I suspect that was the worn he would have worn. The Yeomanry units that converted to RA sometimes wore the RA badge but sometimes wore their old badges. There was often a change during the war - in both ways with some re-adopting old Yeomanry badges late war whilst others went for RA.

As many regt's 'doubled up' to generate a second regiment then you had the situation where some batteries wore the old Yeomanry badges whilst others the RA. In you case the original photo is at the start of the war in the pre-1940 uniform with peaked cap and Yeomanry badges, whilst the second is at the end of the war with a open necked blouse and tie.

Alan

Pompey · #9 02-10-17, 08:08 AM

Thanks Alan, good info, much appreciated.

Mike Jackson · #10 02-10-17, 08:45 AM

The Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry, in the Second World War at least, followed their own rules. It is recorded that one of the wartime COs actually wore both badges (Monty style) in his beret in Italy. The CWGC hedged their bets.
CWGC_Syracuse_Surrey Yeo.03.jpg Yeo_Surrey Yeo,_1944 Christmas card.jpg Yeo.Surrey Yeo. Christmas+army+card+1942.JPG

Pompey · #11 02-10-17, 09:25 AM

How strange, i guess he wore both at some stage then, so I will put both in his frame with the medals. Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

Tiger Pete · #12 02-10-17, 09:30 AM

From what I've been able to discover from the collection at Newhaven Fort, both RA and Sussex Yeomanry badges were worn at this time.

If my memory serves, OSD were bronze RA badges for both the Sussex and Surrey Yeomanry batteries.

KR,

Pete.

Pompey · #13 02-10-17, 10:06 AM

Thanks Pete, much appreciated.

54Bty · #14 02-10-17, 05:52 PM

With out looking it up I seem to remember being told that the Batteries wore the corresponding badge to their own Battery title.

Marc

Tiger Pete · #15 03-10-17, 05:18 PM

Hi Marc,

If you mean Sussex batteries wore Sussex Yeo badges and Surrey wore Surrey Yeo, yes, I think that's right as if memory serves they had been two separate units until virtually the outbreak of the war.

When I get a minute, I'll double check.

KR,

Pete.