RSM WO I badge 1915-1918: colour?
 

I am getting together a talk for the WFA and realised that I do not have a worsted RSM '1915-on' example, and also that I do not know if the early versions incorporated any colour.

The badge is the small Royal Arms with usual 'cat and horse, crown etc.

If it did not incorporate any colour, I would bet [soldiers being the vain creatures they are] it soon did.

So, does anyone have either/or:

sealed pattern c. 1915

contemporary description

example from a period uniform

badge without 'proper' colours, worked in cotton on worsted

colour photo

or a good quality photo of badge in wear that might provide a clue?

I am posting this on other sites to spread the search.

Please help, its a good cause!

The only picture i have is from, The osprey Elitie Series. The Old Contemptibles by Michael Barthorp.Hope im not infringing any Publishing rules here.(I recommend this book) It's not very clear but an example of wear in the field.I would also contact/visit the Guards Museum Wellington Barracks London.I paid a visit a few weeks ago and i'm sure there were examples,which if memory serves had colour in the central area.Hope this helps.Regards.Phil.

Thank you. However, it does not help because the Foot Guards were unique in 1914 and earlier in that they wore a version of the Royal Arms in some orders of dress, whereas the remainder of the army only took an Arms into use when WO I was invented in 1915. By PVCN 1920 it was in gilding metal only, but there is some Great War evidence that early version were rather tatty wosted with a little colour.

Information is that both these badges were worn circa 1918, when the Royal Arms replaced the Crown in Wreath for ALL senior Warrant Officers (WOI).

Thank you: I have one very similar: the shape of the right hand variant. A colleague in USA has one on a contemporary uniform, again the same shape. By 1920 the official badge for SD was gilding metal only, and I suspect that both materials coexisted in the Great war. Most of my 'in wear' photos show the GM version.