BADGES OF KITCHENER'S ARMY BOOK
 

Good evening all.

Badges of Kitchener's Army by David Bilton (£21 on Amazon - although may find cheaper).

Got this newly published book yesterday and a bloody good reference book it is covers badges/div signs/shoulder titles and has some photo's and images covering regiments and battalions.

Not saying 100% correct (taken him 30 yrs to put together as covering so much) as some sight errors with Welsh stuff, but maybe spot on with your regiment/field.

Jonathan

I would agree with the post. A good guide to a neglected subject.

Jon

Thanks for the heads up! Just what I was looking for :)

Cheers
Colin

Just ordered one........

Looks a good book and thanks for bringing to my attention. Postage to Australia not cheap so could I please ask a favour just so I can get a better sense of the detail - page on Lord Durham Pals 18th (Service) Battalion, cheers Dean.

Angus and Robertson have got them over here Dean.

In store ? When I searched it had the delivery from the UK which is not cheap so was just wanting to check some of the content but will get anyway given family history. Many thanks Dean

Badges of Kitchener's Army
 

Dean

On-line Angus and Robertson have this book discounted $7 something for postage to Qld.

Stephen.

Its gone up to £30.00 on Amazon now.

Phew, good job I read this thread and finally Amazon'd one for £16 yesterday.

Dean, I will be in Oz in Jan (sorry, Sydney only this trip) if you want a copy but can't get hold of it there, I can get one in Europe, and post it to you in Jan. Just let me know, fella.

Cheers, Tim

Got mine on evil-bay last night, £17.00. Quids in!

www.booksetc.co.uk/books/view/-9781473833661

£16.21 with £10.18 postage to Australia. FREE UK postage.

Many thanks all some great mateship here to point me to a good source of what will be a great book, cheers Dean

For potential buyers in the U.K., Blackwells are selling the book for £20.16 (free postage)

Mine arrived yesterday - looks good, highly detailed, well illustrated, lots of insignia I was not aware of - no doubt it will prove a great addition to my library. Interestingly based on an extensive contemporary archive collated after WWI by GHQ for IWM (at that time the National War Museum), supplemented by years of research by the author - with acknowledgement of several Forum members. Looking forward to delving deeper.
Mike

I have not yet seen this book - but I suspect that there is only one unit / badge that concerns me. Yes, the Nat War Mus sent out two questionnaires to every unit in 1917 and in 1919 regarding the uniforms and insignia they wore. The response to the first Q was a bit sparse - they were a tad busy at the time ! Nevertheless, they provide invaluable data for anyone interested in 1st WW insignia.
To complement this, the ledgers of the Royal Army Clothing Department provide detail of every badge (and socks, spoons headdreses etc etc etc) produced, with quantity, Pattern types etc etc - essential.

I look forward to seeing it.

I think I may have got two copies by mistake :rolleyes::o

You profiteer

:D

Just arrived, very pleased with it.

An excellent reference that would be hard to better. There are a couple of errors and one or two fake badges shown, but I am sure future editions will iron out the creases.

I was slightly surprised to see a postcard that I have in my collection illustrated, although I have not always owned it and there might be another copy of it of course.

Recommended :)

A very good book. Hats off to David Bilton his years of dedicated research have paid off. I am very pleased to add this to my reference library.

Mark

Mine just arrived here in Greece this morning fabulous amount of detail in it.
Booksetc £16 thanks for the heads up chaps
Cheers
Sean

Do please tell us of the errors and fakes.

It has been suggested to me by one who knows a great deal more than I that the following are fakes:


1st Pattern Tyneside Scottish (54)
2nd Birmingham Pals (65)
3rd Birmingham Pals (66)
25th R.Fus (76) - Long Scroll cast Pattern
Leeds Pals (109)
RWF All Gm (154)
11th Border Regt (201)
18th Middx (263)
14th RIR (320)
Connaught Rangers (325)


Also

Does not feature non voided Manchester Pals
16th Welsh (224) wrongly states cap badge and badge shown is a fake
Yorkshire Regt - Not a repro however WW2 Pattern with Imperial Crown (132)
Rifle Brigade - Again Shows WW2 pattern (post 1937)

Don't shoot the messenger ..........

As you asked so nicely,

Page 54, 1st pattern Tyneside Scottish Cap bade - FAKE

Page 65, Cap badge 2nd City Battalion - FAKE

Page 66, Cap badge 3rd City Battalion - FAKE

Page 109, Cap badge 15th West Yorkshire Regiment - FAKE

Page 130, Cap badge Royal Irish Regiment - FAKE

Page 132, Cap badge Yorkshire Regiment, c. WW2 with Kings crown

Page 224, Collar badge 16th (service) Battalion collar badge described as a
cap badge and is a FAKE

Page 238, Cap badge Loyal North Lancashire depicted by Loyal Regiment cap
badge which wasn't sealed until 1935!

Page 325, Cap badge Connaught Rangers - FAKE

Page 332, Cap badge Royal Munster Fusiliers - FAKE

That is just at a glance, but I have been unable to indulge the book fully what with work etc. I am not able to comment on the cloth as it is not my area of interest.

Please don't get me wrong, it is an excellent work which has taken some considerable time and effort on the part of the author to put together. However, given all that it has taken, you would have thought more effort would have been put into getting these small things right, especially given the resources available.

Many thanks, that is substantial correlation indeed.

I think we were typing at the same time!

Sadly, this sort of thing has been going on for many years, books regarded as almost biblical contain photographs of spurious badges.
I think it pays to look beyond and focus upon a particular publications good points, which after reading this thread, this book clearly must have, although, I have not actually seen a copy yet.

I think with many such books, they are good as id guides but not perhaps as good for authentication.

I still ordered a copy.

Bilton says that 4 battalions of the RWF wore collar badges as cap badges.
I am informed that if he meant officers only of these battalions he might be correct.
Potentially misleading at best.

My copy arrived yesterday and, while I was dismayed at some of the mistakes, I was heartened by the author’s sincere request for corrections, examples, and additional information for a second edition.

It would be a great service to the hobby if forum members would contact the author in this regard.

Book previews
 

I have not seen this particular publication and from reading the posts there seems to be some fake badges illustrated which may be "representative" but to any newcomer to badge collecting as it's in print it will be regarded as a yardstick for collecting.

With modern communications and this forum has many very experienced collectors I think before putting ink to paper I would cast around amongst forum members for their opinions on a particular aspect of badges.

Having worked for most of my life in the printing industry I have seen some absolute howlers offered by authors and if possible spoken to them and advised them as to the errors they were about to commit to print.

This is by no means any criticism, but a general view of things in print.

Rob

Hi Brookies,
thanks for the positives. can you fill me in on the welsh errors, please.
dave