Home Forces very small patch.
 

Hi Folks

Bit of a mystery to me is this very small GHQ Home Forces patch, the one on the left is the standard size printed Ordnance issued one.

What is the little one?

I saw somewhere that there was an Artillery unit that wore the Home Forces patch...is it anything to do with that?

Cheers
Sean

GHQ HF
 

Your printed badge is mint. Before stitching to uniform it would have been folded back to the dotted lines. I'm not sure there would have been too much difference between the embroidered badge and a properly folded and stitched printed version.

Both versions were produced privately, not by Ordnance so there would have been little product control between different manufacturers.

At 309th Meeting of Army Dress Committee, on 22/03/72, approval given to a Formation Sign for HQ UK Land Forces. On a roundel per fees gules and azure a lion passant with dragons wings within a double tressure flory counter flory or.

Stephen.

The printed badge is not that of GHQ Home Forces but is the badge based on it adopted in 1957 for the staff and those directly linked with the GHQ of UK Land Forces formed two years earlier to plan for possible events in a nuclear attack on Britain.

The attached image of a sadly undated letter has an embroidered version attached which is described as "Sign, Formation GHQ, UK:LF.

Jon

Oh that's interesting, I've just double checked and 37 Signal Regt are described as wearing this badge as a regimental embellishment is that correct?
Cheers
Sean

Jon I should of asked how does your badge differ from the Home Forces badge, apologies if it's a stupid question ....is it on the older badge the colours were darker?

All the examples of the real Home Forces wartime sign that I have recorded are of the small size you show in your first post. Also the red and blue are darker and the surrounding circles are close together and don't have the wider gap shown in the UKLF version. The attached image shows the two together.

I would suggest that 37 Signal Regiment's use of the UKLF version implied that at some point it was a unit commanded by GHQ UKLF. The Army Dress Committee was very strict about not allowing formation signs to be used as regimental dress distinctions.

The attached picture shows the sign worn by an unidentified Signals unit.

Hope that helps,

Jon

I would have thought that the central animal motif is different. The older badge having a dragon winged Lion.
Dave

Thanks Jon that's very helpful I shall now to a bit of rejigging in my formation signs collection.
Cheers
Sean

Home Forces FS
 

I've reviewed my notes, and found I had duplicate files, both containing complimentary information, so I'll copy them here.


18.03.59. Letter to WO from HQ Eastern Command states that GOC at the HQ wishes all ranks to wear both the UKLF and Eastern Command Formation Sign (FS) on battle-dress. The former on the right sleeve, and the latter to be worn on the left sleeve. Sufficient FS were in stock to permit this.

03.04.59. Application approved.

09.05.61. A letter from HQ Eastern Command to the WO states that in 1957 it was agreed that the GHQ UKLF FS would have been worn only by GHQ and those units directly linked to it, e.g. GHQ UKLF Signal Regiment. In view of changes resulting from the reorganisation of the TA and AER, they considered that clear instructions should be issued as to which units should continue to wear the FS.
The following were considered GHQ UKLF Troops:
Regular Army:
600 Signal Tp, R Signals.
TA:
HQ Command GHQ UKLF Signals.
41 Signal Regt.
64 Signal Regt.
134 Counter Intelligence Platoon.
HQ UK Intelligence Unit.
AER:
91 Signal Regt, R Signals
91 Signal Regt LAD, REME.
85 Signal Regt, R Signals.
85 Signal Regt LAD, REME (if formed subsequently)
GHQ UKLF Tpt Plt, RASC.
243 Provost Coy, RMP.
To be formed upon Mobilisation:
HQ Warminster Garrison.
UKLF PR Services.

24.01.68. At the 184th Meeting of the MoD Dress Committee it was approved that HQ Army Strategic Command could adopt the FS previously worn by GHQ Home Forces. The accompanying description in the MoD file is a photocopy of the entry in Howard Cole’s Formation Badges of World War Two- ‘A heraldic winged lion, woven in gold within a gold border set upon a circular background of red and blue’. The description in the Minutes describes a red square upon which is a blue sphere bearing four longitudinal and three latitudinal lines with a crusader sword in gold, point uppermost, placed centrally. This design was intended to express the concept of Army Strategic Command, with soldiers represented by the sword, ready to go anywhere represented by the globe, with a red background, as the infantry formed the largest component of the Command. Obviously this design was not adopted.

09.09.70. At the 200th Meeting of the Army Dress Committee approval was given for an FS to be worn by GHQ United Kingdom Land Forces: A heraldic winged lion in gold within a gold border including a fleur-de-lys pattern set upon a circular background of scarlet and blue.

01.04.71. HQ UKLF formed.

28.04.71. HQ UKLF thought it appropriate to wear the FS previously authorised for GHQ UKLF- ‘the winged lion’.

12.05.71. WO gave approval for HQ UKLF to adopt FS as requested.

22.03.72. At the 209th Meeting of the Army Dress Committee approval was given to a FS for HQ UKLF: on a roundel per fess gules and azure, a lion passant with dragon’s wing, within a double tressure flory counter flory or.

Fabulous Stephen, although I had heard of HQ UKLF I hadn't realised that they wore a FS until this thread, I had seen the emblem next to a story in the "Sixth Sense" newspaper in the 1970's but wasn't aware that it was actually worn. Many thanks for your incontrovertible facts.
Cheers
Sean