94 (Dorset and Hants) Fd Regt RA
 

This unit has its roots in the Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry, but lost the Yeomanry from its title when it was split in two in order to form its duplicate - 141 (QODY) Fd Regt RA. These SNCOs are from 94 Fd Regt in May 44 and they appear to be wearing their grenade cap badge on a rectangular cloth backing. Pre-War the QODY wore, uniquely I think, a green hatband. So would the later badge backing be the logical red/blue or would green have been incorporated somehow?
Your views would be welcome. Thanks. Mike
Attachment 94350

An interesting photo if only to show that the ORs were wearing the standard RA badges during the war. Its possible the 141 (QODY) Fd Regt RA wore the QODY badge but they may have worn the RA as well.

Does anyone know when/if the Dorset yeomanry badge was resurrected? The 2nd pattern with the Great War title was seled in 1935:

badge, label, wax seal. Badge: A bronzed metal cap badge for the Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry, being a circular Garter with motto, in the voided centre of which a diagonal scroll on which DORSET with QO above and Y below, the Garter topped by a King's crown and is enclosed in an open-topped laurel wreath on which four ribbands, top left and right SOUTH / AFRICA, lower left and right 1900 / 1901, across the foot of the wreath a horizontal three-part scroll on which THE / GREAT / WAR. Slider to reverse on which stamped FIRMAN (?) LONDON. A hole drilled in the lower part of the slider. Label: CLOTHING INSPECTORATE DEPARTMENT (Label C); Sample of Pn. No: 10860; Official Designation: CB 1261, Badges Cap Yeomanry Artillery Dorsetshire; Date of sealing: 2/10/1935. Reverse: Five order notations from 28/12/35 to 18/12/39.

Norman E.H. Litchfield in The Territorial Artillery 1908 - 1988 on page 51:

Thank you. That would infer that the the 294th (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA and the 341st (Queen’s Own Dorset Yeomanry) Medium Regiment RA had worn the RA badge previously.

It would be interesting to know if the Q/C badge was worn by the ORs or not prior to the new a/a badge in 1961.

Same source, next page (about 141st/341st):

Is this the badge described on AlanO's post?

Chris

That's it.

Thank you Alan,
Strange to choose bronzed instead of GM or WM, any idea why?
So this was worn by 141/294/341 DY Batteries?
Chris

The were Regiments, not Batteries.

The Yeomanry had a history of Bronzed badges on khaki caps. They had worn a w/m version on No1 Dress hats pre WW1,

Sorry, an error, was this badge worn by all the Regiments?
And thank you AlanO for your reply, was it mainly post WW1 wearing bronzed?

Chris

Several yeomanry regiments wore bronze from 1908. There were a variety of badges in different finished often for different hats so it's complex.

Thanks Alan, very interesting.
Much appreciated

Chris

I have been unable to find why the sealing date is so late at 1935 rtaher than 1920.

Either the DY wore the RA badge from 1920-35 or the 1908 badge was not changed until 1935.

Post WW2 the design changed to the w/m version which remained in use with the k/c until amalgamation. It's possible officers wore Q/C badges but it seems probable that ORs did not and the q/c badges are from the 1970's onwards.

I can confirm that a metal QC Dorset Yeo badge was never issued but a die was cut and SP exists.

Alan - I’ll ask KH what the DY were wearing those dates, am sure he will know.

This is the post war badge in w/m and the Firmin marked bronzed brass from the 1930's. Beware the brass fakes as they are well made but the voiding is not right.

and a fake for comaprison

Hi Alan.
When was the WM one with the Great war titles sealed, or worn? Was it brought out for the blues dress hat? While the bronze one was worn on the khaki service dress hat?
Cheers
Chris

There is a sealed date for it. Which hat it went into is not clear but I imagine it was was worn on the beret, There was a pre-WW1 w/m one worn on the No1 Dress cap shown in pre-war photos alongside the bz one on khaki caps,

The 193o's one would have coincided with the khaki peaked cap, side cap in 1940 and GS cap in 1943.

Alan

https://twitter.com/chapelle1915/sta...136641/photo/2The w/m pre WW1 badge on No1 dress hat https://twitter.com/chapelle1915/sta...136641/photo/2

Lots of pictures of the bronze badge on the khaki cap with the distinctive green cloth band https://www.facebook.com/WW1-Postcar...7422463120757/

Thank you for the links Alan, much appreciated.
So the pre 30's OR's badge without Great War scroll comes in WM, and bronze.
And post WW1 30's badge, (which I have a Bz one) with Great War scrolls are again in Bronze and WM.
So the brass ones that you see could be the bronze rubbed off or a fake?

Cheers

Chris

Here is the WM badge as worn on the blue dress cap. OR badges were in WM, GM and bronzed finish.

The post-WW1 badge made by Firmin is also found in WM, GM and bronzed finish.

Brilliant.
Thanks Luke

Chris

A ‘metal’ QC Dorset Yeomanry cap badge?

Tim

I love it. My information and assurance was from Keith Hook re this pattern. I shall show him the photo and ask.

My gut says as an NCO may he be wearing an officers slivered badge potentially?

What a super photo. The mismatch beret with the Blues jacket is an odd combination but as the Blues was probably regimentally procured perhaps the usual peaked No 1 dress hat was not available. I am assuming he is dressed up at some sort of display day or recruiting event.

The collars are not that sharp but I assume they are QODY collars to go with the badge?

I am not a huge Artillery piece spotter but the gun looks to be light gun so that would date it when the DY were 294 (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment RA (TA) before the amalgamation in 1961 and the re-designation as a medium regiment - with bigger medium guns?

The gun is a 25 pounder, Alan, so that would tie in with your theory as the medium batteries would have used the much larger 5.5 inch gun.

The gun is a 25 Pounder Field Gun in use from WW2 until the early 1970s.

This is an Officer’s No1 Dress tunic and cap with a silver gilt badge.

Tim

Thank you for that. I was hoping that some could confirm that gun. It's likely to be pre 1961 and the amalgamation. It's not impossible that the QODY No1 Dress uniforms and badges (and even the guns) were not immediately changed in 1961 but its a useful pointer to a date all the same.