HM Prison Service cloth patch rank stripes
 

Good morning

This is one for our "Prison" collectors, an overseas collector has just posted an enquiry on a Facebook police patch page concerning the different coloured stripes on a couple of patches he has:

One patch has a blue strip across the bottom, the other has 2 thinner silver stripes. Presumably these represent different ranks and/or branches? Do any others exist?

As always any help will be greatly appreciated

Graham

Hello Graham,

The blue strip once meant OSG grade (Operation Support Grade), but they now have no stripes at all. OSG's now wear epaulets with a crown at the top with 'HM Prison Service' beneath and their individual three-digit shoulder number at the bottom. This number is prefixed with two specific letters according to which jail they work in.

Single silver stripe is a Prison Officer
Two silver stripes is a Supervising Officer
Three silver stripes is a Custodial Manager
Then they wear suits...

Hope this helps,

Paul.

Thank you Paul, I'll pass that on to the enquirer.

If I may ask a further question, he has a patch with "SG###" over "NDTSG". Another on the thread has stated that “NDTSG” is the National Dog and Technical Support Group, would that then mean the "SG" prefix stands for "Support Group", rather than a specific prison?

Many thanks again

Graham

You may have to ask someone with more knowledge than me on that one Graham! The forum member 'Yorkstone' is a keen Prison Service collector and knows far more than me on the subject. If no joy, I do have a list on my work computer of all the current prefixes - there are hundreds. I can look next time I'm in (tomorrow night).

Cheers, Paul

Hi Paul

The original enquirer adds his thanks to mine for your input, greatly appreciated.

TBH prison insignia is not my forte - the only items in my collection pertain to the Cyrenaica and Eritrea prisons under British administration - but i do like to help other collectors by worrying at a puzzle until an answer is found. :)

Thanks again

Graham

badge
 

Just to muddy the water a little more, prior to the current bar system Pips / Stars denoting Senior Officer & Principal Officers were worn on the 'Tombstone type badge, again with the individuals name number + establishment code letters.
This system has since ceased and only a cloth emblem of the cap badge is worn in the same place.

Regards

As you think the answer is yes the NDTSG is a national section that is called in to support operations in all Gaol’s when required.

Also as Destro pointed out Stars were used previously to currant rank badges to denote Rank but bar’s were also used back in the 1960-70’s for the same thing post the Mountbatten review.

Re inventing the wheel!

These are the old & new style bars, worn only on Dress uniform today.

See here
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...p?albumid=3400

Regards

Stephen