1st Armoured Division
 

Here are some of the WWII 1st Armoured Division insignia I've got in my collection. I think four patterns are distinguishable. The first two are the very early one where the rhino is very close in depiction to an hog, the second portraits a static rhino, and I have found samples both worsted on cloth or printed canvas (on the slip-ons).

1st Armoured Rhinos
 

The third pattern differs slightly form the second because of the rhino's legs, that seem to be moving, and is usually circled in white, the fourth pattern is the late war charging rhino. Up to date I have seen only worsted "third" and "fourth" pattern rhinos. Has anybody found printed samples? Have the charging rhino patches been produced in Italy for the needs of the 2nd Armoured Brigade? Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi, your first image with the curly tail is a rare variant of the last charging rhino, the rhino in the white ring is actually post war 20th arm brig,I think. It comes woven and printed, facing pairs.I can photo if you want and check correct unit. Mike

Hello Mike, yes, I'd appreciate it very much. I did not suspect the existence of a postwar fflash, because the 2nd Armoured Brigade was absorbed by the 6th Armoured Division in 1947, if I am not wrong. I assumed the patches in the white circle were of WWII manifacture because of the cloth backing and the press-studs I presumed to be employed on airtex clothing, still this could be true of any post war formation! Could you tell me where the 20th Armoured Brigade served? Thank you in advance!

I don't believe there is a link from 1st Armoured Division to the post WW2 20th Armoured Brigade who wore the Mailed Fist of 6th Armoured Division.
Shown here left to right:
6th Armoured Division WW2
20th Armoured Brigade WW2 ??? (as a sub unit of 6th Armoured Division)
20th Armoured Brigade BAOR c1958 - 1970 (silk woven) Formation signs were "taken down" on the introduction of dpm combat dress
20th Armoured Brigade c1990 to date - Formation badges reintroduced
20th Armoured Brigade c1990 to date (a number of variations exist)

that's exacly the data I've got, no Rhinos on the 20th Armoured Brigade device, whereas 2nd AB was absorbed by 6th Armoured Division that successively became 1st Armoured, sporting 1st Division triangle (black outlined in white) with the charging rhino inscribed, but alltogether quite another pattern of insignia....

Hi, my mistake. As I said off the back of my head. It was 25th arm brig then25th arm brig group then 10th arm div. All this between 1952 'till 1957 when disbanded. Nice to see 20th arm brig stuff though. Mike

A version of the rhino lived on when it was re-introduced as the formation sign of the 6th Armoured Brigade in BAOR. The Brigade (as 6th Infantry Brigade) moved back to Germany after a brief stay in the UK and was restructured as the 6th Armoured Brigade based in the Korbecke - Soest - Werl - Iserlohn area and occupying barracks formerly the home of 4th Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group. I was posted to the Brigade in 1972 and (being a badge collector) was asked by the Brigade Major to produce a sign based on the former 1st Armoured Division rhino. I copied a "standing" rhino from "Heraldry in War" by Howard Cole and in a white oval on a blue background it was taken into use for letterheads, plaques and building signs etc. It was not made up as a cloth formation badge because at that time, with the introduction of disruptive pattern material (dpm camouflage) combat kit, formation badges were not to be worn. Subsequently a version appeared in 1991 (see picture) as a printed badge and may have been worn by 11 MSG a REME unit during Gulf War 1. On the reorganisation of BAOR/British Forces Germany the surviving 1(UK) Armoured Division chose the more warlike charging rhino as its formation badge!

1st Armoured Div
 

The attached picture is of an original Gulf Rhino from the 1st Gulf war which I obtained from an NCO who served there with 1st Armd Div Recovery units, REME. I cant recall now whether he was attached from RSDG or QRIH. Theye were not supplied in time to be worn in combat and were not subsequently authorised for wear upon return to BAOR.

It is cheap flimsy cotton with a printed rhino.

Regards, Stephen.

1st and 6th Armoured Divisions
 

Thanks Stephen,
I have posted some slightly better pictures on my earlier thread and here are the pages from "Heraldry in War" showing the designs of the 1st Armoured Division and stating that after WW2 the 6th Armoured Division was subsequently renumbered and became 1st Armoured Division and the original standing rhino was reintroduced as the Divisional sign!

corkscrew tail rhino
 

I am not certain whether the rhino with the corkscrew tail is supposed to be a variation o of the “third pattern” charging rhino, or to be an earlier version. What I’ve found in an article on the Italian magazine "Uniformi e Armi" (Weapons and Uniforms) & A, written by Robert d’Elia and Robert Le Chantoux, but based mainly on the collection of Lieutenant Colonel W.M.W. Jacksons MBE, is that the “corkscrew tail” rhino was first painted by an engineer of the 3rd Cheshire Field Squadron RE that was given the task to pain roadsigns for the division, and that quickly replaced the previous pattern, nicked “pregnant pig” by the troopers of the 1st Armoured. Any other info, out there?

Hi, the curly tail is a variant of the charging rhino which came about much as Mike Jackson explains in1942 at Khatatba. The sapper painted a more spirited animal at the charge. The Hq staff liked the change and so was universally adopted, according to Cole pp33. The curly tail is rarer and was probably made in Italy where whoever was making it thought it was a boar or had a sense of humour. Mike

Thank you Mike! Unluckily my own edition of Cole's Heraldry in War is a very desirable, but alltogether incomplete 1946 first edition: the device sported as the 1st Armoured Divison badge is the charging rhino with the pig corkscrew tail. Info on the division are just up to the Tunisia campaign, therefore I thought that this version of the badge could be earlier than Italy...

Cole
 

May I ask you what edition fo Heraldy in War is yours? Mine is a first edition, dated 1946 and the only device shown as the 1st Armoured Division badge is the charging rhino with the pig corkscrew tail. Since info on the division is just up to the Tunisian campaign, I have been led to think that the badge could be earlier than Italy...