Badge Backings
 

Hi Guys,

Can someone tell me why some badges have a backing of cloth or plastic.

Also, what is the specific relevance of the backing on the three badges below?

Regards,

Chris

Badge backing cloths
 

Hi Chris

There are quite a number of reasons why various regiment have backing cloths. For example in the Queens Own Hussars the other ranks wore red outline backing to their collar dogs. This was said to perpertuate (unofficially) the scarlet collar of the 3rd Hussars, which was unique among British Hussar Regt's. The Scarlet collar was said to be worn in recognition of the large number of neck wounds sustained by 3rd Hussars at Dettingen.
The 'Black' backing to your RSG badge was said to be worn in memory of Czar Nicholas II who was their Colonel In Chief and who died at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Hope this helps

Regards Rob

Chris,
Sometimes they have a historic connection,other times the connection is not obvious.
I seem to recall a tale I think about the backing to the Staffordshire Yeomanry badge which I think was introduced by a C.O., it was later realised it was a design used on a bottles of Bass beer and the C.O. was a member of the Brewing family. I am sure I will be corrected if my memory is playing tricks.

The best reference material for badge backings is "Badge Backing and Special Embelishments of the British Army" by Tom Walls, it has a few errors but seems to be the only book devoted to the subject.

The author wrote to me in 2001 when he was planning a revised edition enclosing a Questionaire about the 5th Kings liver bird, but as far as I am aware no new edition has ever been published

P.B.

Chris,

The Inf backings result from one of their forebear regiment uniform facings. All of the Bns have been amalgamated at some time and usually they retained some bit of the dress of the older antecedents. For example the RGBW kept the scarlet backing of the DERR who in tune had kept it from the Berkshires. The same with the cavalry uniforms. The QRL wear a red backing on their 17/21 pattern mottos to show that they come from the 16/5th Lancers who were known as the Scarlet Lancers due to the colour of their uniforms.

The backings themselves often reflect the facing (ie lapel colours) of the old pattern C18th tunics. In the case of the LI the red backing comes from red piping on one of their predecessors Rifle green uniforms. Your QLR badge has the yellow facing of one of the Lancashire Regts from which is was made up.

It is not always uniform facings as supposedly the South staffs (later the Staffordshire Regt) wore a hessian (sackcloth) backing to reflect the time they spent in the west indies (some 40 years) when they had to patch their worn out uniforms with local cloth.

Hope this is on interest.

Alan

Thanks Guys.

ALL POSTS of great interest and I may well use parts of them (if that is OK) in the work I'm doing on badge parts and accessories.

Regards

Chris

If there is enough interest I wonder if this could become a new thread or Forum Project with members providing actual examples of badge backings.The one drawback of the " Badge Backings........." book is that only the illustrations on the cover of the book are in colour.

P.B.

I think it would be a good idea to go further and I would be interested.

For my work I'm doing I just need a general background to all this to explan what backings are and a few examples.

All pretty interesting stuff !!!

Regards

Chris

A couple more, the oval red flannel backing to the 6th Kings ( Liverpool Rifles ) other ranks cap badge and ,whilst not a backing as such,the distinctive green and black diced hat band worn by the Lancastrian Volunteers. I once had a complete full dress cap to this unit and even today, many years later, I regret having let it go. Surprising how with the passage of time,once fairly common items become almost impossible to replace.

P.B.

Chris,
The LI red felt backing comes from the Cornwall LI.The patch was bigger than the badge,rather than just covering the internals.

The yellow diamond QLR patch comes from the East Lancs regt.

With regard to what Alan said about the Staffords,the "Holland" cloth backing should cover the knot holes on the cap and collar badges.It comes from the South Staffs regt who as Alan said were in the W.Indies for 40 years.They apparently used sugar cane sacks to repair their uniforms.The South Staffs patch was a lot larger than the badge,an example of which is in the museum.

Thanks again Guys.

I have noted a lot of comments here from all of you.

Regards

Chris

I think you will find that the red felt backing for both the LI (Ex DCLI) and the RGBW ( Ex Royal Berks) comes from the same provenance. It relates to a controvertial night action, against the American Rebels (or patriots, as you wish) in the American War of Independence. In essence news was heard by a British commander of a nearby American campsite where a large body of men were resting unsuspecting of a British presence in the vicinity. A 'Light Battalion' made up of six 'Light Companies' detached from various infantry regiments attacked with muskets unloaded, but bayonets fixed, in pitch darkness. Very many Americans were killed both in their beds and fleeing the scene, little quarter was given unless there was instant surrender, although there were a large number of prisoners. This was considered unfair warfare by the Americans who swore vengeance. To make sure that others British regiments who were not involved would not suffer if captured by the Americans, the six Light Companies concerned vowed to wear red feathers in their hats as a distinguishing mark. Two of the Light Companies involved in the actions, from the 46th (later 2nd Batt DCLI) and 49th foot (later 1st Batt R Berks), passed the tradition on to their parent battalions and the dress distinction was then worn by all companies of the two regiments. The night action was known as Paoli Tavern (near Brandywine creek). The red patches behind the badges commemorate this.

The patch was/is known as the Brandywine flash as we have heard it was passed from R.Berks to DERR to RGBW.The TRF patch for the RGBW shows the red triangle point down on a black background.

The background colour of the RGBW flash is blue not black, only worn for a very short time in 1995.

My apologies

Badge Backings
 

Hello again, gentlemen,
An open question, asked without any research but as with my last Worcestershire Regiment badges query, aimed specifically at BLIZZARD,:) because of his experience and apertaining to my bronze badges.
Clive, I have a nice cap badge , as you can see, it has a red felt backing, I am also trying to pair collars lol, would the voided collar also have a backing ?
As usual, any help is appreciated, it's thanks in advance.
Regards.
Dave.