Grenadier Guards brass plate
 

I found this at a flea market in California yesterday morning. I was wondering what it was used for. Someone has added circular rubber pads along the back outer edge to maybe prevent it from scratching furniture. So is this something that was nailed on a wooden footlocker, a plaque piece or maybe a paperweight?

Attachment 197918

Attachment 197919

Attachment 197920

Known as 'Bed Plates' and hung on a soldiers bed in a barrack room. Often the reverse was inscribed 'DUTY' to indicate absence on duty during inspections and bed checks.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...light=bedplate

Tim

It was hung in a soldier's bed space, giving details of the soldier whose space it was, and many could be used to indicate if the soldier was on or off duty etc.

If the soldiers bed space was in bad order or he was in trouble the nameplate would be taken by the NCO so the soldier would have to go see him to get it back. This is where the term "lose/lost your name" comes from.

I associate the term "losing your name" as being the Guards version of "having your name taken" as in an officer instructing "Take his name sergeant" during an inspection.
All adds up to the same thing, lots of very shouty unpleasantness.

Many thanks for everyone's input and this identification.

There are many different versions of bed plates, some with badges mounted rather than brazed on them or the design stamped on the plate. I have a Royal Engineers WWII one of cardboard in a tin frame.
Interestingly this Grenadier Guards one has a removable "proper" cap badge (cap "star") fitted.
In 1920 the Grenadier Guards were allocated the service number block 2604001 - 2646000, a different system of numbering unrelated to a regiment or corps was adopted during WWII.

I'll be getting a reputation as a serial thread reviver, but I've just obtained this and I'm rather happy with it.
Alli

Very nice, thanks.

A bed plate, Allison, what are you going to do with it I wonder, was it terribly expensive?

Lovely thing Alli, not an expert but i have a couple, both are Narborough made however, first time I've seen a 'Hobson & Sons' wonder if regiments just found a maker, rather than using a firm that was 'Ministry approved' - Regards Mark

These duty plates are quite nice items, i need to get one.
Andy

Thanks all, it was not expensive, I found it in my boyfriends loft, along with a stack of photos of people in uniform including an Irish Guard, an unidentified uniformed chappy, and a brother to James Boxall(the Grenadier Guardsman) who was on HMS Birmingham but died of pneumonia early in 1939 in Hong Kong.
I also found a stack of treasure of the more modern kind, my boyfriend is ex RAF, as I wrote my earlier post I was wearing CBA, a pair of massive flight boots and a typhoon cap. It's been a good day.

Excellent, so it was basically, free.:eek:

In my opinion the Great War and earlier plates are the most desirable, with 3, 4 or 5-digit regimental numbers. On the other hand, a grenade badge is a grenade badge ........ the later plates have the cypher with crown , which of course changes so gives variety.

I collect to all five regiments, and a prized item is a 3-digit IG, very early issue.