Badges / patches in The Virgin Soldiers (1969 film set in Singapore)
 

Hi, this is a thread to discuss the badges, insignias and patches shown in the 1969 film The Virgin Soldiers, which is set in Singapore and Malaya in 1950, during the Malayan Emergency.

Singapore District Formation Patch
The patch showing a lion under a coconut tree is seen throughout the film. From what I gather in another thread here, it is the third pattern of this patch, which could be a slight anachronism since the film is set in 1950. It was also known as a liger pi55ing up a palm tree or an advert for Tiger Beer.

RASC badge
In some of the scenes, Brigg and the other servicemen in his unit wear what looks like the Royal Army Service Corps badge on their berets. This also appears to be a King George era pattern with GR on it instead of ER, and so historically accurate for 1950.

Gurkha Patch
During the train ambush scenes, Charlie the "jungle soldier" is sometimes seen wearing a shoulder patch showing crossed kukris, though there is a lack of continuity since he is sometimes also shown wearing the Singapore District Formation patches instead. Does anyone know any more details about which Gurkha unit his patch is from? He also wears his battledress epaulette straps unfastened all the time - is this some sort of jungle soldier habit? To stop them snagging on branches in the jungle?

West Yorks badge
During the train fight scenes, Charlie the jungle soldier wears the West Yorks badge on his beret.

Unidentified beret badge
When Brigg finds another train to get help, he is met by an officer wearing a badge which I do not know on his beret. Does anyone know which unit it is from?

Hello bentang, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

Unidentified beret badge is possibly Royal Engineers, possibly Artillery or RHA, its not too clear to make out the full details.

From dim distant memory of the book - isn't the unit concerned (in the book) supposed to be RAPC rather than RASC?
Or have I got that wrong?

From my recollection of the film, they are RASC clerks who spend their day processing soldier's ID books or some such.

The jungle soldier identifies himself as West Yorks to the Sergeant.

Enjoyable film.

Dan.

Maybe I was thinking RAPC because that's what the author was in.

Looking at the Officer rank slide I would say that he is wearing the Royal Engineer officer beret badge.
Jerry