56th independant brigade cloth formation badges 1st & 2nd type
 

Hi,
The 56th independant infantry brigade wore 2 slightly different cloth formation badges :
-1st type : embroidered sphinx & black disc on square of yellow felt, with black cotton at back
-2nd type : embroidered sphinx & black disc (minus the lower part of the disc) trimmed on yellow felt, with white gauze like cloth at back
The 1st type is worn during D-Day & Normandy Battle (see b&w picture). The brigade joined 49th Division in August/september 1944 and still wore the sphinx in combination with the polar bear formation badge.
I am uncertain when the 2nd type began to be worn ? Any evidence would be welcome.
regards
Normandie18
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=179905
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Many thanks for posting this. My left-facing version on a square background conforms exactly to the first pattern, front and back, illustrated by you. Very reassuring!

These 2 embroidered patterns are the only original versions. All other versions, printed or embroidered are fakes.
Regards
Normandie18

This is worth knowing -- thank you.

My second pattern - so called "cut down" - came 35 years ago from a Belfast manufacturer's sample board. It was obviously manufactured in the "cut down" format and the yellow shade is brighter than the pale yellow on the rectangular first pattern signs. I'm currently in Australia (for the foreseeable future) and all my images are on my hard drive in Somerset UK. I'll post them sometime in the future. Mike

Hope you're enjoying -- well, as much as possible given the circumstances -- your stay with us, Mike!

Thanks. I'm in Year 12 of membership I think!

A good post Normandie18. I'm ex Glosters and so have an interest in all cloth insignia worn by my old Regiment. I have seen several embroidered "genuine" 56th Ind Inf Brigade on eBay, which look very homemade to me, and recently a "genuine" printed version for sale by a dealer.
All the evidence that I have points to only the full size badge being worn by my regiment whilst the were part of the Independent Infantry Brigade, and the cut down version being worn once they ceased to be Independent and came under the command of the 49th Div. I have no evidence that my Regiment ever wore the circular version you illustrate.
I hope the above, from a Gloucestershire Regiment perspective may be useful?
Regards,
Ken

I would love to see your 56th independant brigade cloth badge.
Best regards from France
Normandie18

Thanks Ken for this much appreciated input ! The circular version is a trimmed 1st patern and shows evidence it has been worn this way. It is possible the badge has been trimmed due to the bad quality of the yellow felt.
Regards
Normandie18

Well, if this is indeed the case, this one formation badge I will have to throw in the towel on any hope of acquiring an example.
Virtually every one that I can recall having seen for sale over the past several years were fake.

CB

Hi,
Another picture where we can see 1st pattern worn in Normandy :
The Roman Catholic Chaplain to 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment, Captain the Reverend W R Thomas, receives the Military Cross from General Montgomery for gallantry during the Normandy landings.
regards
Normandie18
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=181642

That's a tough question. My view, from all that I've read points in the direction that once the 2nd Glosters ceased to be an Independent Brigade, and came under the permanent command of the 49th Div, thus wearing the famed Polar Bear insignia, that in order to retain the prized 56th Sphinx insignia, they cut down the full size 56th down as looking at possible insignia - GLOSTER, 49th, 56th, AOS Trade and Rank badges all together would be a looooooong combination and in order to retain the 56th Sphinx they simply cut it down. It's only my theory, and once this lockdown situation is over (!) I can get back to reading the War Diary in London and maybe give you more concrete information in the near (!) future. Hope that's useful? Ken

Hi Ken,
You may be right about the trimmed bad. You are right again : the war diaries may indicate when the combination 49th Div / 56th Brigade were worn or/and when the 2nd pattern were used. I do not remember finding pictures of the sphinx cloth badges worn by the 2nd South Wales Borderers or the 2nd Gloster. Any evidence would be welcome.
Regards
Normandie18

this pic I took off a display in the museum at Brecon shows the 56th badge with the red and white title SWB title, the green and white 2nd bn title does not have the sphinx.
Not sure when the green and white title was introduced for 2/SWB