Question about WW1 Territorial shoulder titles
 

Hi all
I’m sure this is pretty common knowledge but im not sure of the answer.
Why do we see so many 2 & 3 tiered shoulder titles with parts missing.
Sure I get they have been damaged over the years but were Ts and numerals officially removed for some other reason?
If so, does this detract from the collector and in turn affect their value
Thanks in advance
BC

Shoulder titles
 

I’ve not seen any mention of official removing of numbers or evidence of it in STs that turn up for Norfolk anyway, but from an intelligence and security point of view they obviously help identify a unit but then so did lots of other insignia look at the masses of cloth patches etc for different battalions I suspect that they get damaged as they are impractical particularly when worn with the 1908 webbing. That keeps getting put on and off. It could be worn under the epaulets but that’s a faff in combat and in colder weather with great coats and sheepskin and leather jerkins the webbing would be worn over that. When the TA units were formed in 1908 they were wearing the 1903 bandolier set up or even Slade Wallace and in times of peace it’s easy to remember to undo epaulettes.

So my theory is that they were not very practical were prone to getting damaged that’s what happened and replacements were probably just like regular STs. Which saved in manufacturing costs. There’s a really knowledgable guy on uniforms etc called Taff Gillingham based in Suffolk so you could ask him he’s on Twitter and I think he has a website. He’s a nice bloke he’d have a view I’m sure.

Hope this helps.

too easy to break them, and by the war titles with just the regiment became more common so replacements would have been of that type.

damaged titles do garner a lower price, but they still seem to fetch good money.

Has anyone else noticed the plethora of Territorial shoulder titles that regularly appear on eBay? I'm interested in RWF items, and I cannot believe the amount that appear, all priced at about £30!

All fake, one or two sellers who regularly list loads at a time.

To the best of my knowledge (though happy to be corrected) it was first proposed to drop the 'T' and numeral from TF shoulder titles circa 1915. The Royal Fusiliers' titles in particular were considered to be 'impossible' in that they broke constantly, and were impractical in use when carrying a rifle over the shoulder. It was felt that no distinguishing marks other than the corps were required for shoulder titles.

The provision of shoulder titles at that time, and in their then-current form, was one of very large proportions, and the difficulty of supplies to meet the varied patterns and designs was almost impossible. It had already been arranged that for the maintenance of titles to those TF units overseas, units receive those of their corresponding regular regiments (regulars had at that time the abbreviated title of the regiment only - 'DORSET', 'BORDER', 'K.O.S.B'.' etc.)

JT

T/5/ LF title "modified"?
 

I had a pair of T/5/ LF titles some years back. They came with a 3-loop LF cap badge (which I still have) struck with the "Egypt" blanked out on the centre.

A guy who collected British badges told me that the blanked centre was for TF units so that was something that I learned.

This might be available to anyone with an interest so PM me if you are keen.:) Time to move some stuff on!

The other interesting point was that the top arms of one of the "T" s had been broken and the same chap told me that, in his opinion, the "Terriers" didn't like the suggestion that they were not Regulars so would mutilate the title.

I now tend to think that it was just a casualty of the '08 web straps as per other posts.....