General Service Badge
 

When Canada sent troops to the Boer War they wore what we commonly refer to as the Boer War cap badge and matching collars. This badge of course has the Victoria Crown on the maple leaf with Canada banner. My question is what badge remained in use through the post Boer War period under Edward VII? Did the militia continue to use the Boer War era badge until supplies dried up and then start a transition to the badge we commonly refer to as the CEF general service cap badge. I guess my point is did the "Victorian" crown prevail through the nine years of Edward's reign, or was there a gradual shift to the "King's" crown badge. The morning that the Commonwealth entered WW1 was there a massive order of at least five different shaped general service cap badges / collars, or was this a project that actually started during the time of Edward VII and early years of George V's reign.

When the general service cap badge was one of the few badges that the government paid for you would have thought that there would be one common specification for size, shape fixing hardware colour etc. In fact there seems to be at least five major shapes to this "government spec" badge with many different finishes and at least three ways to attach the badge. It is easy to see the differences occurring in unit funded badges without reference to any spec from Ottawa. It is a little harder to understand why this would occur when HQ is placing and funding the order. Studying the G/S badges that I have has made me question how these varieties occurred and which if any existed at the outbreak of WW1. Would like to tap into the wealth of corporate knowledge out there to help me fill in the blanks.
Confused in Langley
Don

Don, thanks for putting that succinctly, i too have wondered, fingers crossed someone has the answer, having a number of such badges in my collection! Regards Mark

I don't collect Canadian badges but still have two different Boer War QVC badges I inherited from my grandfather's estate. One of them (a larger and thinner type) has small holes drilled for sewing on to a uniform and I have often wondered if it was original. Is this one of the five mentioned?
I would be interested to see scans of the five varieties and to know whether shoulder titles were also worn (have seen QVC collar badges).