Originally Posted by Phillip Herring (Post 142337)

I believe they have been worn at least since the 1980s.
They are worn by all ranks.

Phil

Originally Posted by Wyn vdSchee (Post 11506)

If I hear the term "zipperhead" applied again to armored corps soldiers in general, it will be a thousand times too often. The term applies only to members of LdSH(RC) and was only coined in 1965. Other armoured soldiers are not, repeat NOT, zipperheads. The story of how the name was acquired will have to wait for another time.
As a retired zipperhead, I will comment on the joys of having a lugged badge on the beret. When looking through a persiscope - and this applied to all members of the crew (driver, co-driver, gunner, loader/operator and crew commander) - as the tank was moving cross country, one would often bang one's head on the optical device and drive the lugs into the forehead. Very painful experience and very difficult to conceptualize for people with no tank time - e.g. our Mr Nehring.:rolleyes: Most of the crew either removed berets or pushed them to the back of the head to prevent forehead punctures. Officers were more likely to wear embroidered badges because they were more visible outside the turrets of tanks, and thus needed to be seen as being more "pukkha" and because they were authorized to do so, while ORs were not.
That said, I wore an embroidered FGH badge while a member of that regiment, but I have never seen an embroidered LdSH(RC) badge. I also have in my collection an embroidered badge of The Calgary Regiment (Tank).
Wyn