Cap brass?
 

Was the term cap brass a standard / colloquial reference to cap badges during the Second World War? (or any time before or there-after?)

never heard of it.

regards

Might depend on the context? Stores format lists could read “Badge cap brass” with commas omitted.

Apparently there was once a “Cup, Rubber, Lunatic” on the stores inventory!

Tim

Gilding metal would still be the correct term for the brass alloy used for cap badges to my knowledge WW2 and after.

I’ve never heard of that I’ve always understood the correct term to be gilding mental which comprises mostly copper approx 95% copper and approx 5% zinc. But that will vary. I’m sure someone more knowledgeable than me will know of a regulation or standard used by the War Office and others.

Most soldiers would have called them brass, I am pretty sure. So if they did have a colloquial term, it may well have been that. Imagine a mate shouting over 'oi, Jim, you left your cap brass off'.

Sounds totally feasible, to me.

I doubt very much they would have called it their "cap gilding metal".

Just my two coppers worth.

Phil

It may have been used in the Canadian equivalent of the CCN., as Badge, Cap, Brass.

Marc

Would it refer to an artillery shell cap rather than a cap badge?

RACD Pattern 4480/1897 (TNA WO 359/6, 336) defines GM as 86.7% copper and 13.3% zinc by weight. This is a much higher copper content than brass.


I have not found any later composition in the WO archives.

A quick Google search brought up a few mentions of 'cap-brass' and they were mainly to do with Canadian Army Cadets.

From Wiki:
"All forms of headdress are accompanied with a cap-badge or cap-brass representing the Cadet Corps' affiliated regiment or a simple cap-badge with the standard Royal Canadian Army Cadet badge."

From PWOR Army Cadet Corps Handbook:
"You will earn the honour of wearing the PWOR cap brass upon your first promotion to Lance Corporal."

"Cap brass" sounds like a term flto encompass all metalwork on a cap, the badge, buttons and perhaps also chinstrap fittings.

I've hears the expression "collar brass" used in relation to US army metal collar discs but "cap brass" - never heard that term before !

PL

Most probably nothing to do with clothing at all, in the period between flintlock and cartridge guns as we know them today they used percussion caps on muzzle loading rifles and revolvers so it's most likely to be a grade of brass that they specifically asked them to be made out of just like the guilding metal for badges.

The question was posted because of the Canadian cadet use of the term. Upon investigation, it appears they have created this euphemism for a cap badge. It is not "correct" as most Canadian badges, including the generic army cadet cap badge are made from alloys, mostly zinc based or even plastic with plated (often brass coloured) finishes.

It is strange that the term is used so much in official Canadian cadet handbooks yet doesn't seem to be a cross-over from the army and isn't used in other countries cadet forces.

From The Ontario Regiment Royal Canadian Army Cadets handbook:

"Permission to Wear the ONTAR cap brass: On joining the Cadet Corps the new cadet is known as a Cadet. Once a new cadet passed the Green Star level they are authorized to wear the distinctive ONTAR cap brass. This cap brass is something to be very proud of and must be protected from theft. "

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