512 LAA Regt, RA- headdress badges
 

Post-war 512 LAA Regt (Finsbury Rifles) RA was formed.
It comprised
RHQ & Q (St Pancras) Bty
P (Finsbury Rifles) Bty
R (Tower Hamlets) Bty

According to the 1959 Catalogue & Clothing & Necessaries different cap badges were available for each Battery- adopting their predecessors London Regt badges:
CB 1337 by P Bty [11 London]
CB 3229 by Q Bty [19 London]
CB 1343 by R Bty [17 London]

Westlake makes no mention of these cap badges in his TF Artillery book. However, he also failed to mention the Battery Titles, Arm, Embroidered that they wore:
Finsbury Rifles (Scarlet on rifle green) (‘P’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8044).
St. Pancras (Scarlet on rifle green) (‘Q’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8045).
Tower Hamlets Rifles (Dark blue on scarlet) (‘R’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8046).


Is this correct? Did these batteries actually adopt these badges? If not, why are they listed as such in the CCN?

Stephen.

Hi Stephen,

In the List of Changes, change No. C 4717 dated 30th November 1951, CB 3229 was the cap badge for:

19th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade), RE

Note the 'RE' bit. This is also noted under 'Designation' for this badge being:

'19th Lond. R. (now R.E.)'.

This comes from my work on A/A and is recorded in Appendix 1, page 418 of my book. Badge CB 3229 was pre the A/A era and is include in my book for completeness sake as change C 4717 was a change of intent only that related to the forthcoming A/A badges many which were never actually manufactured in this material.

I have no info on CB 1337 nor CB 1343 though.

Not much help but of interest?

Regards,

Chris

Thanks Chris. I was beginning to think the Forum was stumped.

Stephen.

512 LAA Regt, RA
 

OK, its official- the forum is stumped!

Battery Titles, Arm, Embroidered that they wore:
Finsbury Rifles (Scarlet on rifle green) (‘P’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8044).
St. Pancras (Scarlet on rifle green) (‘Q’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8045).
Tower Hamlets Rifles (Dark blue on scarlet) (‘R’ Bty, 512 LAA Regt, R.A.) (Cat No CB 8046).

Although the badges listed above (pictured below) were produced, sealed and catalogued I have as yet not found any evidence that they were ever issued and worn.

Marc

Marc,

Thank you- more chance of pigs flying than finding one of those.
Have you any ideas about the headdress badges?

Stephen.

Just checked Norman Litchfield's book and the only mention he makes is of a KRRC black button was retained on the shoulder straps when originally formed in 1938.

Marc

512 LAA Regt
 

Thanks Marc. Perhaps its another of those items of dress and embellishment that was approved but never actioned.

Stephen.

Geez Marc, talk about being able to pull things out of a hat. Well sourced!

To round off, apart from the CB number and pattern number the following applies to all three.

Sealed on 3rd of September 1957 by letter of authority (ORD 17B) 25 to 54/Arty/2582. Introduced into the Catalogue of Clothing and Necessaries on the 2nd October 1958. Catalogue of Clothing and Necessaries vocabulary number CB 8046. Sealed Pattern card dated 3rd September 1957, pattern number 17537. It is not known if this designation was ever worn.

Marc

You must bear in mind that during this period the idea of any badges being worn that were not Royal Regiment of Artillery in a unit titled RA was condemned by those in HQ RA and above. Most requests made by units to continue wearing any item previously worn (WW2) or new items, were rejected where possible. The same applies today, before the introduction of the Royal Regiment of Artillery TRF, three Regiments introduced their own, 4, 12, and 26, they all only lasted a few months.

Marc