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-   -   Cloth Beret Badges For Soldiers - 1980's (https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70921)

hagwalther 29-11-18 04:52 AM

Cloth Beret Badges For Soldiers - 1980's
 
Hi Guys,

Does anyone have examples of the following cloth beret badges for soldiers (not officers) from the 1980's era:

9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s)
Royal Corps of Signals
The Queen’s Regiment
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire)
Royal Corps of Transport
Royal Pioneer Corps
Army Catering Corps

Regards,

Chris

leigh kitchen 29-11-18 06:08 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I'm not sure they're all 1980's, hi-res scans available if required.
I have a RCT in a slightly "rubbed" condition sewn on a beret somewhere

engr9266 29-11-18 08:34 AM

CLOTH BADGES
 
7 Attachment(s)
Chris, Is this what you are looking for?

R Sigs & RCT
I have no cloth badge for RPC or ACC. I have never seen any for these, I believe they only wore A/A badges.
Jerry

hagwalther 29-11-18 09:44 AM

Thanks Leigh, Jerry.

The reason I ask is that there was a trial of cloth badges in the 1980's with such items to be used as a possible substitute for A/A cap badges. I have details of the request for the trial and the units, as supplied in post #1, to be covered. However, I have not been able to find a write up on the conclusions of the trial, if one actually existed, so was not 100% that the trial actually took place.

It seems though that at least some of the badges were manufactured. The Queen's Regt is a little different in that before the trial in late 1970's they unilaterally started using a cloth badge in place of the A/A item for soldiers. Chappies at the top not impressed and Queen's told to get back to A/A which may explain the two versions shown by Leigh.

I have no idea how to date cloth badges but good to see examples of five of the seven units so far shown which may point to the fact that the trial badges were actually made.

Regards,

Chris

engr9266 29-11-18 10:35 AM

Many units had cloth badges made for wear in N.I. so that the "shiny" ones did not make them a target.

leigh kitchen 29-11-18 10:42 AM

I may be wrong but I believe that the taller of the Queen's badgespreceded the shorter version.
Are you interested in the Guard's versions of embroidered badges? The GG were using embroidered on felt grenades by 1974/75, the design being slightly different in colouring to the NCOs sleeve grenades although the latter were used on the beret due to shortages.
The Chesires wore a round, embroidered felt badge, I think in the 80's, it was unpopular and later used as a tracksuit badge for those who passed a ski course (so I was told when I phoned their RHQ).

grey_green_acorn 29-11-18 11:33 AM

I believe the Queen's Regiment, specifically 2 QUEEN'S adopted the cloth badge in 1972/3.
I have never seen a cloth beret badge for the DERR, RPC or ACC and would suspect that the trial did not take place. Indeed there were many more cloth beret badges already in use by the 1980s and opinions could have been sought from units by the ADC.

For other examples see my album https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...hp?albumid=513

Wait out for counter-battery fire from Marc (54Bty)!

Tim

Mike H 29-11-18 12:11 PM

The Kings Own Royal Borders ORs wore their cloth badge for a long time. Early 80's ,maybe late 70's up until amalgamation. I asked about this when the depot Kings Division was at Strensall. I was told that the a/a badge was very weak where the crown joined the wreath so they adopted the cloth badge for use in the beret.

leigh kitchen 29-11-18 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike H (Post 461006)
The Kings Own Royal Borders ORs wore their cloth badge for a long time. Early 80's ,maybe late 70's up until amalgamation. I asked about this when the depot Kings Division was at Strensall. I was told that the a/a badge was very weak where the crown joined the wreath so they adopted the cloth badge for use in the beret.

I'd forgotten about the KORBR, 1st Bn were wearing the woven badge on khaki beret by June 1976, when they arrived in W. Belfast.

QLR's wore yellow design on a dark blue vertical oval but I don't know when.

leigh kitchen 29-11-18 12:45 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Forum member Snowdrop has produced a useful booklet
"Cloth Beret & Cap Badges of The British Armed Forces"
which he distributed as a download and in printed form.

Mike_2817 29-11-18 06:52 PM

Ian Kelly of Kelly Miltara (or was it Kelly Badges) published a small A5 version (8 pages?) earlier than that but never updated it.

I believe the round Royal Sigs badge was an ACF example as I have a round RAOC one worn by the Shropshire ACF

leigh kitchen 29-11-18 07:24 PM

The mid blue round Royal Sigs has been mentioned on the forum I think as a trials pattern that was unpopular and not adopted. It seems to have later been adopted, by CCF?
It crops up on eBay and Kelly's.
I was looking for a copy of Kelly's booklet on cloth beret badges but haven't yet found one.
Cloth beret badges feature in some editions of Crown Imperial but they tend not to have dates of wear.

hagwalther 29-11-18 07:41 PM

Thanks Guys,

There are indeed lots of cloth badges about. Regarding NI 'issue' - looking at the doco these were all unofficial and the ADC told units not to use them. The Grenadier Guards asked to have a cloth badge as they had previously reverted from A/A to brass (1969) and the black paint would not stick to the brass badge. ADC officially said NO!

What is of great interest to me is the absence of the DERR, RPC or ACC examples. These were directly specified by ADC to Stores and Clothing Research and Development Establishment (SCRDE) as part of the trial starting in 1981 for six months. It implies, together with lack of trial conclusion, that the trial did not in fact take place.

All other examples shown of interest but I suspect difficult to accurately date to the early 1980's?

Regards,

Chris

49lassiepen 29-11-18 08:24 PM

D E R R cloth badges were issued and worn before the introduction of the a/a badge There is an example in the regimental museum I was informed on my last visit to the museum this summer by an ex member of the regiment and a museum volunteer that they were collected and burnt on a funeral prior He thought that 1 or 2 may have escaped
David

49lassiepen 29-11-18 08:45 PM

Chris see Marlows auction 22/11/18 photos of lot 143 still on line for 1 that got away I missed it as I only glanced quickly at the lot Sold hammer price £50.00
David


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