London Irish Badge Blade fixing
 

This LIR cap badge belonged to RFN E G Archer 2/18 London Irish who served in WW1.
It is unusual having twin blade fixings top and bottom ( one at each end snapped off).

Is this a known variation or a misappropriated Officers cap badge.

I’ve never associated that style of harp with the London Irish. It’s generally connected with the Irish police and RUC.

A Royal Irish Constabulary / Royal Ulster Constabulary badge?

Was he also a policeman in Ireland or latterly Ulster?

Edit: darn, others beat me to it.

I think it is RIC, but there was nothing to prevent it's wear by him in the London Irish. It is close enough in style that no one would likely notice or care.

CB

Apart from the fact it’s not their badge…

He was a Yorkshire man and never lived in Ireland. I agree it has an RIC look

Did he serve in Ireland in the Auxiliaries?

Am I wrong in thinking that the RUC had spaces between the strings on the harp with red behind it showing through, and the London Irish did not? Or is that just a variation for the RUC?

Terry

There’s also that curved thing on the left, the London Irish doesn’t have that, it follows the curve of the harp frame.

Thanks all it remains a mystery why a London Irish soldier had a RIC cap badge.

Hi

I found this post on the Great War forum. Interesting photo of the badge being worn in the cap.

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/...-irish-rifles/

Fascinating, thank you. Lightning strikes twice, no pictures then two at once!

As the man in orthopaedic shoes said I stand corrected. So it appears it may have been his original badge.

It is still very curious situation as to how these have come into use. Worthy of further research. I know of no other Regiment regulars or TF issuing or using OR badges with blades / tangs during WW1.

Hi Luke,

Yes, I would love to learn how this badge came into use.

I was looking at my RIC officers badge there and the LIR example in the first post is the same stamp and blade fixings as my RIC example. The only difference is the LIR badge made in blackened brass? Compared to the RIC officers which were only blackened WM.

Best

j

Initially before I saw Albert wearing the badge I wondered if Jack’s cap may be a studio item with a ersatz badge for photographs. But that Albert wears it also in what appears to be a different cap discounts this.

Shape-wise the badge in question is more reminiscent of the large silvered harps sold as WO Caubeen badges. Obviously the badge in question is smaller and BB.

I note that Albert wears sergeant stripes in his portrait and the obituary cutting claims he was a CSM within 18 months of joining. In one of the poorer quality pictures he wears a crown above the left cuff.

Whilst it momentarily offered a theory in my head as a NCO item it seems both Jack and E G Archer above were ORs.

It’s a shame that the picture of Jack with his trench cap isn’t a little sharper to see if the badge is still the same.