Quote:
Originally Posted by grenadierguardsman
Toby, I thought sliders came into use in about early 1900 ? I have somewhere letters from Grenadier Guards, I think to Gaunt or some other badge maker, stating that they wanted to change from sliders to lugs. As the slidered grenade didn't sit correctly. Also I have been given some items from a friend of the family, of a Grenadier Guardsman, shoulder titles and a slidered Grenade. The grenade having 14 flames.
Andy
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To be honest I can’t remember all of the full details Andy. I do recall very clearly that the first current style (size, etc.) badges for the Line were on Field Service Caps and for Foot Guards were on the final Guards pattern of pillbox style forage cap. That was around 1898. Then for the Guards in 1900 came their own special pattern of what for the Line’s subsequent equivalent later became known as the Brodrick, but was really just a universal forage cap. The Guards didn’t require a new fixing as holes were positioned in the cap as required, but the Line did need a new fixing for their cap because it was so different to the FSC (remember they had originally used collar badges in these). So the line had sliders and the Guards still had loops. It wasn’t until 1905 and the issue of peaked forage caps that the slider was modified for the Line to reposition it on the cap, if I recall correctly. The Guards simply positioned their looped badge where they required it, which was noticeably higher up the front of the cap, as it still is today. That remained the situation in 1914. I think that Julian Bowsher probably still has the dates and specification numbers if he can dig them out.