NZ Machine Gun Officers Hat and Collars
 

The hens teeth in NZMG Bronze Officers hat and collars.
plus a couple of cloth badges worn by The NZMG lads on the rear
of their battle dress.
Took a good many years to find these. At last they turned up with the help of
my Pal in the South Island. A Big Thanks Pal.

Superb!

What next?

NZ Machine Gun Officers Hat and collars
 

Pleased you like them Andy. Took a good many years to get hold of.
I have found a NZMG hat badge with a slider it the first i have ever seen
More like the hens back teeth LoL
Trust all is good with you
Regards
Ray

Ticking by Ray :)

I have chased the Canadian ones a few times, but my pockets never seem deep enough. I did pick up a nice postcard by chance the other day though that was a pleasant surprise when I looked closely at it.

I hope you don't mind me adding it to your thread?

nz Machine Gun Officers Hat and collars
 

No problem Andy,
I am always pleased to see any MG badges.
It must have been a bugger sat behind a MG with the collars on his BD LoL
Regards
Ray

Nice set of badges and postcard even if the Colonials are over-running the British section!

Is it true that the MG regiments disliked wearing the badges as they were often shot out of hand by the Germans or is that just because they were with a MG and that was enough. I am sure I have read this someplace.

One of the best accounts of Lewis Gun team narrative was in the ‘Last Fighting Tommy’ if I recall a DCLI Lewis gunner. Gave me a more informed view of my own Lewis Gun granda in the Durham Pals.

Cheers Dean

I've read in a WWI squaddies memoirs ("Her Privates We" by Frederic Manning?) that he and his colleagues removed the "LG" badges from their sleeves and dirtied the resulting clean patch of cloth because of the rumour that Lewis Gunners were shot rather than taken prisoner.

"The Last Tommy" - I saw an interview with Harry Patch, he stated that as the war progressed he would fire at the enemy's legs rather than shoot to kill them. Presumably he wasn't the No. 1 on the Lewis Gun at the time but a different "No." of the LG party (I was taught to aim low with a MG - lessens the risk of firing too high, get the legs and the rest of the man drops into your fire. I turned battalions of banzai charging Figure 11 targets into paper collanders).

Then there were the tales of dead German gunners being found roped or chained to their MGs so that they couldn't retreat.
I've always taken it that the ropes, straps, chains used to drag the guns were mistaken for restraints.

With a Machine Gun to Cambrai by George Coppard would get my vote for a good read regarding Machine Gunners in World War One.

Simon.

Hi Ray

Congratulations on your latest acquisition. They look superb. Very envious. Whilst I have a pair of bronze NZMG collars and a bronzed cap badge, I am still hunting for the elusive solid bronze cap badge.

Cheers

John

NZ Machine Gun Officers Hat and collars
 

Thank you Dean and Leigh for your comments on this thread,
Simon I have not read Machine Guns to Cambria. I will be looking for this
book now. Thank you for pointing the way.
Hi John, I to have two other pair of Bronze collars,
One pair is British made. Hence I am looking for a British made Bronze Hat badge
( If you keep looking you never know what turns up)
Kindest Regards
Ray

Found this in one of my badge drawers - have seen a gold one on my travels but wasn’t cheap of course, cheers Dean

Reverse of sweetheart badge

Hi Ray,

I am collecting variations of both NZMG officers and ordinary ranks cap and collar badges, as such I would be very interested in seeing the reverse photos of yours and anyone else's officers NZMG badges.

I am especially interested in any Firmin or unmarked NZMG bronze badges.

Cheers

Brent