Beret sized insignia for RAA Other Ranks
 

Hello All!

Here are some simple 'snapshots' of the current issue period Royal Australian Artillery insignia set for Other Ranks. The undersized headdress badge shown below the hat badge, is the beret-sized item approved for wear by RAA Other Ranks. Note that the curent Army Dress Manual (ADM), indicates that Commissioned Officers are to use bullion badges when wearing a beret. N.B. A separate article on bullion beret badges for Officers can be posted later on.

For now, it probably suffices to say here, that 'bullion and metal' beret-sized insignia for wear by serving members of the RAA, have been recorded in various editions of the Australain Army's Dress Manuals for more than 50 years. For example, gilt metal ORs' beret badges with a 'King's Crown', can be seen in circultion at militaria fairs from time to time, as can KC versions of the bullion badges. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between Australian Army items and British Army issue items of the same type/size... and comparison images of the earlier period items and their 'pedigree', is probably a subject that would be worth discussion here???

Note also, that there are two variations of the post 1997 period ORs' collar badges featured in the attached images. As will be seen from those reference collection images, one collar badge variant is 'flat-backed' and the other variation is fully couter-struck.

Yours in research and collecting


Mark

Co-Author of "Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army"
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Volumes 1 and 2

Thanks for showing Mark.

The beret badge you have illustrated is identical in design, with the exception of lugs, to the former RA metal QC beret badge. The RAA Kit Shop sold these for years with sliders.

One of the authors' of 106 Fd Bty 1967-68 tour in SVN history showed me his first badge procured at School of Artillery in 1965 (issued was his words) and that was a KC British pattern brass beret badge.

RAA Kit Shop also sell the current RA anodised aluminium beret badge, and their officers' embroidered beret badge is different to the British pattern. I have seen the same design sold for many, many years by the 7 Fd Bty RAA social club in WA.

Having been out of the system for so long it is difficult to know exactly what is being worn. At one time during the late 1980s the RAA Regimental Committee pulled the pin on officers' embroidered badges, at the same time as they stopped the wearing of stable belts. They were apparently opposed to items that had to be privately purchased.

Cheers, Keith

At one of my Regimental Reunions at Larkhill there were a couple of RAA chaps there and both were wearing an RA beret badge and had purchased a few of our brass beret badges from the PRI Shop. I think this was in 2008.

Marc

I was buying these from Christies many years ago.
BC

Thanks Kieth,
That's great information. I'll do up an article on the 53 to 65 period RAA metal beret badge... then the same on the bullion badge specimens that I've put aside in the reference collection... then maybe I should post some images of the Australian and British items side by side for comparisn and we'll see what the forum membes come up with from there eh? :)

Regards
Mark

Co-Author of "Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army"
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Volumes 1 and 2

Marc,

Yes indeed... that does seem to be the way of things alright:) A bit of this from here and a bit of that from the UK... and since the beret sized insignia for Officers and ORs will invariably be private purchase items... variations are bound to come into and out of available supply at Regimental Shops etc.

Thanks for sharing!

Mark
Co-Author of "Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army"
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Volumes 1 and 2

Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) Beret Badges, for Other Ranks (Part 2)
 

Given the public and private message responses to my recent post on RAA beret badges... I thought I would share a some further information. The first image posted here, shows a series of Artillery beret badges, positioned below a couple of RAA hat badges (which are present in first image, for the purposes of scale only).

As you will see from the first image... different Australian Army OR's beret badges are positioned on either side of a current period British Army issue item (the one with the 'slider' fitting of course). As you will see, just below those Queen's Crown (i.e. post-1953) beret badge items, there is an Australian made King's Crown beret badge from the 1948 to 1952 period.

The first image shown here and (more importantly) the comparison image of the verso face of those insignia... are intended to provide some visual information which differentiates Australian (RAA) items from British made (RA) ones. As will be seen from the detail shots, the British Army version in the middle of the frame, sports a 'slider' fixture and is maker's marked (to "J R GAUNT LONDON") on both the badge body and also on the slider fixture.

It is well to note, that each of the Australian made beret insignia, features:

1. a pair of traditional lug fittings only (at least, no apparently Australian made items with a slider have been identified by Authors to-date); and
2. a fully counter-struck detailed verso surface; and
3. the absence of any Australian Maker's Mark (at least none have been identified by Authors to-date)

In due course, it may be worth canvasing the fact that various British Army insignia have been wholly 'adopted' by Australian Army personnel over the years. Of course, that point is something which blurs the distinction between what was 'issued and what was 'worn', in terms of what needs to be included in our planned future works on Australian Army insignia from federation, through to 1952 (from where our existing hard copy books take up the story of Australian Army Corps and Regimental insignia).

So, on the question of RAA beret badges Vs RA headdress items, it will be interesting to "...watch the fall of shot".

Yours in research and collecting and in scribbling about it,
Mark Corcoran
charliebravobooks.com
“Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army”
Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era) Vol 1 and Vol 2
__________________

The first image shown here and (more importantly) the comparison image of the verso face of those insignia... are intended to provide some visual information which differentiates Australian (RAA) items from British made (RA) ones. As will be seen from the detail shots, the British Army version in the middle of the frame, sports a 'slider' fixture and is maker's marked (to "J R GAUNT LONDON") on both the badge body and also on the slider fixture.

It is well to note, that each of the Australian made beret insignia, features:

1. a pair of traditional lug fittings only (at least, no apparently Australian made items with a slider have been identified by Authors to-date); and
2. a fully counter-struck detailed verso surface; and
3. the absence of any Australian Maker's Mark (at least none have been identified by Authors to-date)

Thanks for showing Mark. The left hand badge, from the type of footed lugs used, would probably be the type marketed by Christies/Amor outside the system.

The attached photos are probably more relevant to the badge comparison - it is an RA other ranks QC beret badge with slider. You will note a fully counter-struck detailed verso surface and the absence of any manufacturers' mark.

The gilt Gaunt badge shown is the RA officers' version pre-embroidered badges as far as I know but Marc (54bty) or Mike Jackson might be able to confirm that.

Finally, is the large QC RAA hat badge on the left of your first photo also a Christies aftermarket badge?

Cheers,
Keith

"The gilt Gaunt badge shown is the RA officers' version pre-embroidered badges as far as I know"

The above is correct.
There is an ORs version of the "belt and bracers" beret badge, but it does not have a mounted wheel.

Marc

Thanks Keith,

You are (of course) spot on... I would attribute the beret-sized badge on the left to Christies/AMOR as well... but I have no provenance on that particular item, so I was very reluctant to say so publically.

Next, thanks for providing the image of the fully counter-struck RA item for ORs with a slider. I was great to see that... and it points out that being fully counter-struck is not peculiar to either Australian or British army stikes of these items... and I wonder if the manufacturing dies were British in the first instance and perhaps later, they may have been re-made here. Still, that's a line of enquiry for another day I suppose?

After that... the 'JR GAUNT (LONDON)' item is indeed the Officers' version... since the gun carriage wheel is a separate piece which is blind riveted in place. I will need to get my microscope camera out to be able to show that (in due course)... because it is hidden behind the slider. The fact that the maker's mark identifies LONDON, rather than BIRMINGHAM... would indicate the item was manufactured from older dies... i.e. before the mid 70's, when the new or replacement dies were updated to show the manufacturing plant to be in Birmingham by that time. Nonetheless, the item is in such a good state of preservation, that it hardly seems that old... so I'm wondering if it is one of those infamous UK restrikes (made with surplus dies etc etc).

Finally, you did indeed spot the RAA 'Christies' hat badge size item as well:) All without an image of the back! So, here's the 'back story' for those blog post images.

There are occasional 'spare' spaces in each of the plan drawers where I keep the reference collection used to compile the books. One of those square spaces has 'oddities' for that first draw (from CB 1 through 14), simply stuffed into it... including the 'Christies' marked RAA hat badge which (as you clearly know), has an oddly dull chrome finish. Since I needed to have at least one RAA hat badge included in the photo (to show scale) for the beret badge variants... I left the two unusual variations in place for the shot... thinking 'who would notice those were actually manufacturing 'variants', at least not from the front anyway :) Now we know of course:)

The upshot is, that many of those 'odd' variations were included in the 600 page electronic edition of Volume 1, but were not included in the hard copy editions of the work. However, as you are all now aware... all the odd variations that we initially amassed and recorded, are STILL stored within the reference collection anyway :)

Collecting and hoarding is a damn disease, isn't it!

Best regards

Mark

Marc,

Thanks for that ID. That's much appreciated. Now all I have to do, is chase down another correct period (metal) OR's item :) This acquisition process just never ends, does it (well, thank goodness I suppose).

Best regards
Mark

Off the subject here but Mark do your books cover SOER insignia?

Welcome to the Forum!

The answer is 'Yes'... the SOER is covered in Volume 2 at CB 358 and in case you're interested, SOLS is designated as CB 359.

A snap shot of the relevant entry is attached for you (showing 2 of the relevant variants).

I hope this helps?

Regards

Mark Corcoran
https://charliebravobooks.com/

Co Author of: “Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army” Post 1953 (the 'QEII' era)
Vol 1: Insignia for Corps and Schools Etc and Vol 2: Insignia for Units and Regiments.

Yes BC,

The Dress Manual entries that we've dug through, show that the beret-sized insignia items authorised for wear by RAA Officers and ORs, were/are 'not Ordnance sourced items'. As such, like stable belts and other 'bling' of the period... these items were generally private purchase items, sourced in batches purchased through Regimental funds, or as private purchase items from relevant Corps Shops and Military outfitters...where many a decent fitting (and liner-less) service beret came from at the same time :)

Given the role of 'Regi-Shops' and outfitters such as Christies, members of the public have been able to purchase these items without access to Army Clothing Stores... so it does seem a bit odd, that they are not that commonly seen in circulation. It may be the case, that once collectors have what they need, the open market(s) for the items are effectively 'satisfied' and the items just fall off the trading radar?

Regards
Mark

RAA Beret Badges (Part 3) Re: Commissioned Officers and WO1s
 

A couple of earlier posts on RAA beret badges, were focused on the stamped metal items worn by Other Ranks. This time, I thought it might be worth taking a look at RAA Officers' insignia sets and the bullion beret badges authorised for wear on the beret by those ranks.

The attached (CB09) image set, shows the detail of the 'AMOR' makers mark and the rivet fixture for the rotating gun carriage wheel on the face of the badge. The bullion badge shows some fairly characteristic design distortion for used insignia of the relevant period and the screen-print variant of the cloth shoulder title, may be of interest, because it is of the early production type.

https://charliebravobooks.files.word...mall.jpg?w=960

https://charliebravobooks.files.word...mall.jpg?w=960

The next image shows the CB11 anodised insignia set for Commissioned Officers and WO1s of the RAA. As most people here would know, the anodised aluminium insignia were on issue over the period 1965 and were progressively phased out of issue after 1996.

https://charliebravobooks.files.word...mall.jpg?w=960

https://charliebravobooks.files.word...mall.jpg?w=960

Finally, of particular relevance to this post, are the backing cloth variations of the bullion badges worn by appropriate personnel of the RAA in the stated time-frame. The dark blue beret cloth backing is the standard beret item (of course). Meanwhile, the dull cherry cloth is (tentatively) attributed to wear by relevant personnel from Airborne Units of the period. Research on this particular point has yet to be established from either primary or secondary records and so, comment or feedback on this point is genuinely welcome... especially from ADF members with direct knowledge on this point.

Yours in research, in collecting and in scribbling about it all :)
Mark

charliebravobooks.com
Co-Author of “Metal Uniform Embellishments of the Australian Army”
Post 1953 (the ‘QEII’ era) Vol 1 and Vol 2