BEEWYSE LONDON - makers mark on Anodised Cap Badge
 

Any thoughts on this Wessex Brigade / Wessex Volunteers gold anodised aluminium cap badge with maker mark BEEWYSE LONDON

Tim

A quick search on beewyse brings up a NAM acquisition in 2004 of 1944 webbing marked Beewyse.

There is a wholesale & retail trade via mail order houses or internet company in Manchester: Beewyse Limited, incorporated 2012.
company number: 08245587
director: SHEIKH, Basat Mahmood

Beewyse Consultants (private) Limited is located in Lahore, Pakistan.

My uniform buttons marked "Beewyse, London" are all for Middle Eastern countries.

Any thoughts with this additional information?

The font appears to be very similar to the Gaunt London one.
Could they have been a sub division of Gaunts or were their sliders made by Gaunts ?

The mark also appears on a Kuwati air force anodised badge.
.

The only other badge marked BEEWYSE LONDON I have is a metal Kuwait Defence Force badge.

Tim

Beewyse were a retailer not a manufacturer. I have had sight of badges in the past so marked but with a "Firmin" marking in tandem. The badges usually relate to middle east countries.

Dave.

Thanks all for comments so far. This is a fairly common badge which was worn for more than 34 years from 1958-1992. All the badges I have seen are maker marked either J.R.GAUNT LONDON or J.R.GAUNT B'HAM but Chris Marsh also lists FIRMIN, DOWLER AND GROVE.

The BEEWYSE LONDON mark is surely unusual and a mystery with the timeline the key as the badge should have been discontinued at the latest by 1992 as follows:

As the Wessex Brigade badge (K&K 2030) worn from circa 1958 to 1970 when regimental cap badges were adopted.

As the Wessex Volunteers / Regiment (Rifle Volunteers) badge (K&K 2402 but same as brigade) worn from 1967 to 1992 when the two battalions were reformed into sub units of the PWRR and RGBW LI territorial battalions.

Tim

Hi Guys,

Can anyone reconcile this BEEWYSE LONDON badge with any other marked badge - same die flaws etc. - or is it different to any other Wessex item.

Regards,

Chris

I have found that the Wessex Wyvern badge was also worn by the Army Cadet Force in the 1970s. Also more recently and briefly by the Royal Wessex Yeomanry?

Of more interest there is a civilian (not sponsored by the MOD) Wessex Military Band, a symphonic concert and marching band which wears a military style uniform including wyvern cap and collar badges. Their uniform and badges are presumably privately purchased and perhaps they have sourced cap badges from BEEWYSE?

Tim

I was fairly certain that Beewyze had a web site (a year or two ago I googled them re. a badge I have) but I can't find it.
This site claims they were a WWII manufacturer of web equipment, which is news to me:

http://ns2.petpeoplesplace.com/petst...442831675.html

The link is to one of those awful aggregating sites that leads you down a path to a load of unconnected rubbish based on your search criteria

The old republc enterprises vintagegearoperator are defunct ebay sellers

And i've gone back to 2004 with the bywyse name via the wayback machine and all the snapshots show it being a clothing retailer,fashion items ladies handbags blah

Thats not to say bwyse havent ever had anything to do with military contracts its just i cant find anything

That it is - the sites main interest appears to be flogging me cat food, but it's interesting to see the reference to the Beewyse webbing.
Unfortunately I can't find the "Beewyse" web site showing army badges that I saw some while back.

The badge is marked BEEWYSE LONDON not BYWYSE

Tim

From National Army Museum :

"Waterbottle carrier, nd; manufactured by Beewyse, nd; privately purchased or possibly experimental pattern webbing waterbottle carrier, similar in style to pattern 1944 equipment but with no military markings."

Beewyse

Yes, I came across that entry and took it to be the one mentioned in post no. 2 (although I didn't check the date of aquisition). Still can't find the Beewyze web site........

BEEWYSE, Company House information:

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/08245587