Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinRF
...some later AIF orders where the addition of the 'RAA' scroll badge was authorised for wear - I read that the Heavy Artillery personnel enlisted (almost to a man) in the AIF which may be why they were allowed to maintain official/authorised use of their badge...so, as I understand it, from 25th March 1916, and later the inclusion for the Seige Artillery from the 28th January 1918, no other distinctive unit badges were regulation within the AIF - however such orders were regularly ignored, as evidenced within the photographic record...these RAA scroll badges were also manufactued in the UK - have collected several variations/finishes of them...military metal badges during the Great War period were authorised in oxidised copper finish for the AIF, and gilt for the Australian Military Force - even the skill-at-arms/trade/prize badges, which are quite rare to secure...however, it should be noted that the AIF was not merely an overseas copy of the domestic AMF...(8{
|
Hi Martin,
The badge for the Australian Siege Brigade was authorised by Orders for Australian Imperial Force issued with Military Order 359/1915 of 22 June 1915 and was declared obsolescent (not of current manufacture, stocks of which will not be replaced) by Price Vocabulary of Clothing and Necessaries 1919-20.
The badge was identical to the collar badge of the permanent RAA.
About half the strength of the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery were taken along with some members of the Royal Australian Field Artillery, and they were maintained to establishment by men who enlisted especially in the RAGA as reinforcements to the siege brigade, or personnel of the militia Australian Garrison Artillery who had served for one year and volunteered for the siege brigade. The reinforcements were roughly 50% ex-RAGA and 50% ex-AGA. The Reserve Brigade Australian Artillery in UK was also drawn on for reinforcements. It should be noted that the Siege Brigade was a unit wholly of the AIF, not the Permanent Military Forces as is often stated in Australia. Its men, regardless of military service in the Australian Army, had to volunteer for and be accepted into the AIF.
Keith