Women's Royal Army Corps - Ammunition Technician
 

I have just read an assertion on line that no individual in the Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) ever qualified as an Ammunition Technician prior to 1992 when all WRAC personnel were integrated into other regiments and corps.

The 'A in Flames' badge (Edwards and Langley 118A) was introduced in 1950 for Ammunition Technician / Assistant Ammunition Examiner.

The 'A in Flames' badge exists in WRAC colours of green on beech brown presumably designed for wear on WRAC Lovat No2 dress worn from the early 1960s. There is also a gold wire on beech brown version for WRAC No1 dress.

It is possible that WRAC personnel were employed as Assistant Ammunition Examiners - hence the badges were produced.

My questions for the Forum are:

Can anyone confirm the WRAC Assistant Ammunition Examiner theory?

Were there (ever) any WRAC qualified Ammunition Technicians?

Any photographic evidence of the 'A in Flames' badge in wear by WRAC?

Tim

WRAC AT
 

I used to work in an office with about 3 or 4 ATOs in the 90'/00's.
I asked about WRAC ATs and ATOs and was told "there's about half a dozen". One of the more mischievious added "it makes it more interesting picking up the pieces after an incident" (they had a rather outrageous sense of humour - one once made a remote control banger out of a fart machine one of the grads brought in).
There was definitely a WRAC AT badge in the frame of AE, AT and ATO badges in the mess bar at Kineton School. There was also a book with photos of every ATOs course, so I presume the same thing exists for AT's. Bear in mind said photos were very sensitive as some operators had a price put on their heads by the Provos, so photos weren't encouraged.
I've also been told that at least one AT wore a "camouflage AT badge" of green on beech brown during an OP TELIC/HERRICK (Iraq/Afghan tour) that he'd "found in stores".

AE Ammunition Examiner
AT Ammunition Technician
ATO Ammunition Technical Officer
WRAC Womens Royal Army Corps

Ian,
Many thanks. Oddly the original assertion came from CAD Kineton (and a former Ammunition Technician). The story of the WRAC colours badge being worn on dpm combat dress by a male AT was also provided.

Post 1992 there are of course female RLC EOD operators.

Tim

Female ATs & ATOs
 

Indeed,
RIP Capt Lisa Head RLC, my brother's ATO, died of wounds as a result of an incident on HERRICK 13/14 in 2011.
As one of the other ATOs said "sometimes the dragon wins".

Ian H

In the original CCN and COSA the badge is listed as Ammunition Inspection Staff.

Marc

Answers as below:

All RAOC/RLC IEDD/EOD' operators were/are qualified Ammunition Technicians (AT) or Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO)

There was for a short while in the early 90's a Basic TA EOD Operator wearing a flaming V badge., now worn by Reserve Ammunition Speclists.

The Beech Brown AAE badge has an NSN and was an authorised badge.

The Beech Brown Badge was worn by male AT's on Combats as a sort of subdued badge on occasion.

The Bullion Badge was as far as I know a private purchase item.

Mike,
Thanks for the detailed response.

Tim

WRAC Ammunition Inspection Staff (Letter A in a flaming grenade)

Gold on beech brown introduced in 1952 for wear on No. 1 and No. 3 Dress, Catalogue number CP 3288 later moved to CB 6703.
Green on beech brown (1960 pattern) CB 4532 later NSN 8455-99-974-2047.

****************
The 1995 EOD (V) badge had (has) a letter V, in place of the letter A.

Marc

Marc,
Many thanks, we seem to have the facts, just need some photo evidence of badges in wear.

Tim

Thanks Mark on the Bullion COSA Part No

The Letter E on my last post was a typo, of course it was a V

WRAC Assistant Ammunition Technician badge in Green on Beech Brown. Whilst the badges did (and do) exist and listed in COSA, their issue was a very short lived experiment carried out only at CAD Kineton in the early 60's.

Mike,
Thanks, you triggered my memory from 1965 when I spent a few days at CAD Kineton with a small group from Merseyside ACF and CCF units. We got a guided tour and I remember seeing WRAC girls working in the ammunition inspection and packing area. Perhaps they had qualified for and wore the badge!

Tim

I used to be in charge of the RAOC & WRAC Storeman (late classed as Supply Speclist) and RPC Labourers who worked in the Ammunition Process Building (APB's) as well as RAOC & WRAC Mechanical Handling Equipment (MHE aka Fork Lift Trucks & Towing Tractors) operators, and none were classed as Assistant AT's, they were directed by a Senior AT in charge of the APB as to what their task was. There was a NCO Ammunition Storeman who looked after the transit paperwork etc.

Within the Ammunition Sub-Depots (Storage Areas) there were Sup Specs qualified as 'Ammunition Storeman/Speclists' but this did not entail inspection or repacking of ammunition. Nor did they ever have a speclist trade badge like the 'V in Flames worn by the Reserves.

Mike,
Although confused by some of the contradictory information in this thread 🤨. This is my summary:

The A in flames badge in green on beech brown was intended for WRAC Assistant Ammunition Examiners or Ammunition Inspection Staff. It is listed in COSA as a 1960 pattern item and is not particularly rare and has been around for nearly 60 years although the WRAC disbanded 27 years ago.

A gold on beech brown version for No1 and No3 dress was around from 1952 and obviously predates the 1960 pattern by 8 or more years indicating some sort of requirement to recognise a trade in the WRAC.

Badges may have been worn by WRAC personnel at CAD Kineton in the early 1960s. I visited Kineton in 1965 (I was 14 at the time and it was 54 years ago!) and am sure I saw WRAC infecting/examining, unpacking and/or repacking ammunition. Of course I have no idea what their actual trade was or if they qualified for the badge!

Finally there were never any WRAC Ammunition Technicians. But never say never!
😎

Tim

Just to muddy the water.

When was the badge changed to Ammunition Technician?

Marc

The badge 'Flaming A' was first worn by Ammunition Examiners RAOC, and title changed to 'Ammunition Technician' in the 1960's with a further change of badge to the smaller size c1970