Badges of the Black Watch of Canada (and predecessors)
 

Hi everyone,

I thought I would post a few more badges from my collection.

First...a variation on a theme. While these all look similar, they are distinctly different variants of the 5th Royal Scots of Canada / 5th Royal Highlanders of Canada Glengarry badge. There are quite a few others that I don't have...yet. Badges date from late 1870s until approx 1906.

If anyone has questions on particular badges, please let me know. I'm happy to give close up photos and details.

Militia Shako Plate
 

Member of the regiment wore this type of badge on the "Quilted Shako" between 1862 and 1875, thus this is what would have been seen on the headdress during the Fenian Raids period, etc.

5th Battalion Royal Fusileers bearskin cap grenade badge
 

Here's a bit of a rare animal. This badge was worn by the regiment when it was titled the "5th Battalion Royal Fusileers" (correct spelling!) between 1876 and 1880.

Difficult to photograph as the badge is so convex.

An officer's pattern (multi-piece, gilt finish) was offered for sale recently...sadly I was massively outbid.

Views of the obverse and reverse...

5th Royal Scots of Canada Cross Belt Plate
 

Another one that was very difficult to photograph well...still didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.

As Cross Belt badge worn by officers and senior NCOs of the 5th Royal Scots of Canada circa 1885-1900.

5th Royal Highlanders Officer's Bonnet Badge
 

I'm sure this isn't unique, but I've only ever seen one example of this particular badge on offer, and I was lucky enough to obtain it.

A silver plated, multi-piece officer's feather bonnet badge circa 1906-1914. This example was manufactured by Hobson and Sons and has their details to the reverse. An extremely well made and beautiful badge.

Adam:

Came across this thread while Googling '5th Royal Scots of Canada" - seems like you may be the man with the knowledge to assist me ...

Can you advise what period this badge is from, and what sort of head-dress it would have been worn on?

Hi Grant, I believe that the badge in your image is an imperial Black Watch badge, not the 5th Royal Scots of Canada.

Bill's close, it's actually the Royal Scots of the British Army...sadly I have little knowledge of it. But, I am sure someone here does, so hang tight.

Duh. I don't know why I typed that. I was looking at the badges in Adam's posts and for some reason transposed the "Black Watch" for the Royal Scots.

Aha!
 

Thank you, Gentlemen ..... I'm not a badge collector, but rather am considering putting together a circa 1885-1900 5th Royal Scots of Canada re-enactment impression (basing it on my existing late-Victorian Royal Highland Regiment kit, but with a decidedly Canadian connection which I find appealing). Accordingly, I have been searching for 5th RSofC "stuff", of late. .... This didn't look remotely like any 5th Royal Scots of Canada badge or insignia I have seen in my admittedly limited experience.

I recently managed to acquire three reproduction 5th RSofC glengarry badges (2 officer's and one OR's) which rekindled my hope of doing something along that line, but imagine I can only dream of getting a helmet plate or crossbelt plate, say .... :(

(.... and I'm sure they definitely aren't likely items to come across in reproduction form, either! :rolleyes: )

On the off chance I can "mock something up" utilizing the boar's head(s) from one or more of my repro glengarry badges, does anyone have an image of a 5th Royal Scots of Canada helmet plate? (I hope Adam doesn't mind me using his crossbelt plate image as a reference for that bit of kit if I do go ahead with this!)

Grant,

Reproducing badges is a bit of a touchy subject to say the least on this forum, not sure if you've looked at the many threads which will give you an idea of the magnitude of the problem. Reproductions are a collector's nightmare.

In your case obviously you are not reproducing badges to make a profit but I'm sure many of us would be curious to know if you make these obvious to spot?

Cheers, Ian.

As a collector of other military material - albeit not badges - I am completely in accord with your views on reproductions which aren't clearly marked as such, if they stand any chance of being taken for original items!

To clarify .... the reproduction 5th RSofC boar's head glengarry badges I mentioned are something I purchased from a vendor who markets a small line of reproduction Canadian highland regiment badges (mostly CEF). They are cast and of mediocre quality, but adequate to pass the "ten foot test" of re-enacting (i.e. to appear acceptable viewed from a distance of ten feet or more.) The officer's ones are also cast brass with just a "silver wash" only on the front.

Rest assured that any "mockup" of something like a crossbelt plate or helmet badge I have the capability to make would obviously be just that .... and entirely unmistakable for anything original. Indeed, my skill limitations are such that anything I create will be lucky to pass the "ten foot test". The only thing along these lines I have done to date has been such a "mockup" of a Black Watch crossbelt plate, the body of which is made from a sheet of relatively thin, plain flat brass with no border, on which I simulated the "stippled" background quite crudely by using a punch, ..... Nonetheless, to be totally safe (.... and to really "call a spade a spade" ....) I stamped the back of the plate "FAKE"!

If this is all w/m then this is a 1908-14 bonnet badge worn by the 6th-7th Bns of the Territorial Force (TF) of the Royal Scots. The Regular Bns wore bi-metal badges from victorian times up to 1958.

The TF Bns wore white metal badges in walking -out dress. This practice seemed to have ceased in WW1 or possibly the 1920s.

Worth about £20.

Alan

Hi Adam,

I was wondering if you have a detailed list of the different variations of the 5th badges.

John

John,

Do you mean the glengarry badges?

If so, not really. I have a basic chronological idea regarding the main versions, that's about it. With so many variants, and with their use straddling serveral issues, dating these is problematic, and largely arbitrary.

The most useful guide is, of course, Brooker's book on the subject. As good as the book is, it is still lacking in a lot of detail. I have a feeling that, like me, he found it difficult to pin down many details.

Cheers,

Adam