Royal Engineers Officers??
 

Hi all, just received this badge in a pretty ropey lot of badges. It appears to be an officer's badge, cast?, with a strange GVR cypher. Is it genuine, it looks old but the edges of the badge are rough and the overall finish is poor.
Thanks
John

It is so very crudely cast, I would certainly not be happy with it and would seek a replacement.

Could it be a locally made badge?
Looks like theres a manufacturer's mark on one of the tangs?

Yes, I had not noticed but it says Lambourne & Co Birmingham. It is an old badge, not artificially aged.
John

If you can post a better shot of the manufacturer's mark you may flush out some views on whether it's a genuine mark (I thought it may a (Lambourne stamp).

Here is the best I can do the makers mark. It looks like it's been there a long time, partially obscured by contact marks.

Unfortunately I would agree with this. Whilst many OSD badges are a bit on the crude side, this is excessive. Additionally, I have never seen a blade marked in that manner, let alone by this maker, which I do not believe made these. They are not even properly spaced.

CB

The badge conforms to no fake die I know.

Despite not being able to see the mark clearly the other features of it look to me, well scream in fact, as being the hand of Lambourne. Not a betting man I would however wager the mark is correct with an underscored o and matches several other OSDs tangs / blades shown in various threads.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=77594

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...3&postcount=22

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=23815

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...8&postcount=12

I certainly should not seek a replacement nor would I in any respect be unhappy with it.

An item I would love to have in my collection.

Unless that blade is a slider cannibalized from another Lambourne badge, which I think it may be, it makes no sense whatsoever being there.

CB

Hi all.
I have to agree with Luke, the tang with the Lambourne mark is identical to the one on the other side of the badge. If you could handle the badge then you would see the wear on both the badge and tangs is not done by the hand of a forger, it would take a massive effort to get the badge in that condition, there are hundreds of nicks, scratches and bends on the tangs, surely not worth the effort to forge a RE badge.
I am happy the badge is a genuine Lambourne badge, I did not know they made cast badges. The cypher is completely different to a usual RE badge of the period, again all the effort to get all those little piercings on the cypher just right is surely beyond the thoughts of a forger, he would copy a standard RE badge.
John.

I have a similar RFC with the same stamp, I was not happy with it at the time and I already had many replacements, but, I have never seen or heard of an single example of these badges with an acceptable provenance.
Whilst I do remain open minded, had I been gazetted with a commission over a hundred years ago and been offered a similar cap badge when being fitted with a SD from a tailor, I certainly would have been more than a little disappointed.

And that may indeed explain why they are so scarce compared to Lambourne made OR badges. Clearly the rank and file had no such choice in what they were issued, doubtless they too shared the disappointment of Lambourne’s quality but were comparatively powerless to refuse.

I would dearly love to see your RFC please should you still have it. Indeed I even have a orphanage tin for disowned and unwanted Lambourne badges so should you have it and wish to move it on please do let me know.

So is this badge genuine? If so, it is a disgrace. Most Indian cast badges are far better than this.
I too am open to anything as one can never say never, but will need more solid evidence to accept this badge as something actually made by Lambourne.

CB

I'd say it is, Badjez(Steve Risby) found something in the archives at Kew or nam stating that officer's should not be buying substandard badges for their uniforms and the practice should be stopped/discouraged, from what I can see in items that I own you can buy a cheap cap with badge for £1 or go somewhere else and pay 19 shillings and 6 pence for just a cap badge.

The prices for officer's kit not Or's

I think a better pic of the rear could do it a bit more justice.
Andy