Here are my notes on OSD
Officers Service Dress (OSD) was introduced by Army Orders (A.O.) 8 of 1902. The forage cap for service dress at home was a version of the 1902 Universal Pattern peaked forage cap but in drab material to match the service dress. The badge authorized for wear in OSD was a bronzed version of pattern 4642/1898.(1) Collar badges were also authorized for OSD and initially they were of the same size and design as the cap badge. Cap badges for OSD are recognized by the presence of blades as fitments and collar badges can be recognized by the presence of loops. At least two distinctive patterns of the full size cap badge are known and are illustrated below as are some other subtle differences in design due to variation among makers.
AO 54/1947 made the officers bronze badge obsolete
In 1949 a War Office directive stated that all Regiments and Corps should adopt one style of cap badge for all forms of headdress. Like many things in the British Army, nothing is that simple! What the War Office Dress Committee did do was make Officers Cap Badges an issue item for the first time, produced to a sealed pattern and stock number. Two badges were permitted, One with the shank (slider) for the newly introduced beret in Gliding or Bi-Metal for Other Ranks and Officers when in working dress, and one in Gilt/Silver and/or Enamel for all forms of Service Dress Cap. This style was formally only for the Coloured Service Dress Cap, not the Khaki example worn with Battle Dress.
So far so good! Of course the old school did not like this and the use of Bronzed badges continued well into the 50's It was only the adoption of the cloth bullion badge on coloured side caps & berets that started to kill the bronzed badge off, and the decrease in the use of the Khaki Service Cap. But customs in different Regiments & Corps ensure that where one unit adopted one style of dress, at least ten others did not.
Although the bronze OSD was disallowed in 1947, many officers wore their left SD collar in the beret. Indeed officers now used their left Service Dress collar badges as beret badges.
[1]
07.07.48. WO policy re Officer's cap badges;
'a) A cap badge of the same design & size should be worn on all head-dress. These are to be of the 'Dress type', e.g. gilt or silver plated. Bronzed badges considered to be regarded as obsolescent.
In 1949 an Army Instruction was issued which directed that badges of ALL RANKS were to be of the same design, bronze (or OSD) badges were to be discontinued. This resulted in the RE badge being made in two parts and two metals, the wreath in silver, the garter, cypher and crown in gilding metal.
Many OR Yeomanry badges had a ‘brown patina’ –
not made in the metal bronze. The 17th – 20th Bns (lpl Pals) also had a brown patina.
Much of this came from the late David Linaker and the late Stephen Risby - both sorely missed.
[1] I have the King's collar of the late Major Peter Krell which he said wore in his beret.