Middlesex Regiment 7th/8th/9th Bn. OSD badge
 

Gents,
Can anyone shed any light on this badge I have in my collection? It’s not the usual pattern of OSD cap/collar badge. For info it’s fitted with blades. Any help appreciated.

Greetings Diehard.

Interesting item

I have never seen one like this and unless I'm very much mistaken, I believe it is a fantasy item.

My reasoning for this is that in 1908 when Rifle Volunteer units became, in the main, Volunteer Battalions of Regular Regiments, the 2nd Middlesex RVs provided a number of Officers and other ranks to become the 10th Battalion Middlesex Regiment.

Your badge, appears from the front, to be a 10th Battalion item, as indicated by the blank/erased/altered scroll, which if it were a 7th/8th/9th battalion would show the South Africa connection on the scroll.

When the 10th was formed, although a number of men from the old 2nd Middlesex RVs had served in South Africa in The Boer War, the new Battalion, (10th) was not allowed to show this distinction on their cap badges.

Therefore, there should not be a South Africa scroll attached to this item.

Would it be possible to show a picture of the reverse please, top see how this additional scroll is fixed.

Hope this helps.

Regards.

Brian

Hi Diehard
I agree with all Brian has said, a fantasy badge as far as I’m aware .

Gerard

Middlesex Regiment 7th/8th/9th Bn. OSD badge
 

It doesn't look like an OSD finish to me, the bottom scroll looks poorly attached.

Rob

I think it’s a post 1905 2nd Volunteer Btn. Mainly based on the fact I’ve yet to see any other 2VB Badge to date.

Rob: I agree with you, not Officers' quality.

Keith: Good call m'boy.................could be......you are not alone in searching for evidence of a 2nd VB badge.

Regards.

Brian

Hi Brian
I should have added, I have a brooched one, not something normally associated with a fantasy badge. The 2VB theory is just my take on it, they pop up from time to time like most VB’s and unlike real fantasy items like the footballers.

Attachment 232507

Brian - hope this helps. I’ve had this badge for about 40 years now is that’s relevant at all.

Chaps, this is the back of the badge - does this help at all? I guess it confirms the badge hasn’t had the additional scroll applied subsequently and appears integral to the badge. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

Attachment 232550

Greetings again.

Well..................not sure what to say now.:)

Very obviously a one piece item and unusual, to say the least.

Perhaps Keith may be able to assist as to whether or not his brooched item is a similar/same construction.

What I will add though, is that the construction, flat reverse and lack of detail thereon, is very reminiscent to many Sweetheart brooches; however I'm not saying that this a falls into that category.

Apologies that I can't add anything else to assist at the moment.

Regards.

Brian

It is unusual and somewhat crude, along with the blades, which are usually associated with OSD badges, which it is not.

CB

The plot thickens ... my mate sent me these images from an auction catalogue from a few years back.

There was a similar lot in DNW’s auction e few weeks ago.

There was indeed, 20th August, Lot 724; I have found the picture I kept of them, there were 2 and they sold for £130.

Still none the wiser though.

Regards.

Brian

I'll look at the back of mine when I can, I'm overseas right now for a couple of weeks.