thoughts on a few colour patches
 

hi all
what are your thoughts on these 4 colour patches?

in the first 2 pics what is the patch on the left and its produced on an unusual material? is the patch on the right a miniature 16th btn ww1?

in the next 2 pics, im not sure on the construction and the material used. is the top patch 474 (glyde), 1st aust independent LH sqd? what do you think about the stitching?

as usual thanks in advance
bc

Regarding the first patch, which is probably 2/14th Bn although with what appears to be almost black instead of dark blue, I have seen (and own) a few patches where the grey background is a kind of blanket cloth, as this one appears to have. I'm supposing that there was a shortage of grey material early in the war to use on 2nd AIF patches?

Agree with Lettman, both patches in first pic are fine - 2/14 might be Middle East local supply.

Second pic, circle is WA manufactured 4 Aust Div artillery, AIF personnel, 1942-44, and is standard for that manufacturer.

The 2 Cav Regt patch screams fake, the stitching and the cloth are not period and the scrappy stitching is a dead give-away, it has been hand machine sewn and is probably a product of that bloke who sells reproduction colour patches on reproduction hat-bands on a well known on-line auction site.

Keith

thanks guys
agree with you. just wanted to confirm it.
ive got another few to check with you all
ive bought another 100 or so and trying to id them as per glydes numbers. ive lost all ability compare them.
thanks in advance
bc

thanks keith
WA manufactured 4 Aust Div artillery(576)? why not 9th div (582) or can it be interchangeable?
bc

Could possibly be both bc, 4 Aust Div was stationed in WA 1942-43 and some of its arty units were still extant there in late 1943.

12 Fd Trg Bty at Northam also supplied reinforcements for 2/7 Aust Fd Regt in Middle East, these would almost certainly have been issued the first pattern 9 Aust Div arty colour patch prior to their departure. Not certain when reinforcements to AIF in ME ceased being despatched but certainly not after November 1942, and I think probably well before.

Keith

thanks again keith
appreciate your help.
if i could bug you again, any help on the other patches a few posts up
bc

here's another i don't like the look of the stitching although the material feels right.
any thoughts?
and i have identified a few other from the pic above.
the one on the middle right which is mothed looks to be a variation 691a LHQ heavy wireless group.
cheers
bc

I checked my own collection and found eight patches with similar grey blanket-type cloth backings to the 2/14th patch depicted. Six of them could have been supplied in the Middle East, one looks like it might have been a 43rd Bn militia patch 'promoted' to the 2nd AIF by being hand-stitched onto a piece of army blanket, but the last raises a doubt about supply in the Middle East.

The anomaly is attached, and is an example of the very first 'official' patch allocated to the 2/13th Bn (Glyde 941). The patch was rendered obsolete at about the time the battalion was being sent overseas, so I wonder whether it would have been worth anyone's while to have a version manufactured 'in theatre'. I realise that there are probably no definitive answers; I'm just putting it up for observation and discussion.

I don't like the HQ 1 Motor Bde one bc and I seem to recall that a number of patches in my collection with similar stitching exhibited signs of other stitch holes. Perhaps it is possible that a local camp tailor in Queensland ran these things up on request, I don't know.

1st row - 1. AA & Frt Sigs Western Area; 2. Fortress Engineers. Both these patches are of Western Australian manufacture. 3. HQ 1 Aust Motor Bde.
2nd row - 1. 44 Aust Inf Bn; 38 Aust Inf Bn. Both these are of WA manufacture. 3. LHQ Hy Wireless Gp as you suggest.
3rd row - 1. AASC AIF Base and L of C Area, also WA manufacture; 2. 27 Aust Inf Bn; 3. Non-divisional AASC units up until the end of 1942 although it could have been worn longer.

Keith

thanks guys
lettman your patch does look of the same construction and an interesting question posed.
thanks again Keith for the quick identification
regards
bc