Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke H
I don’t really think there is a debate.
You are comparing apples to oranges.
This ‘curly scroll’ design is pictured in both KK and Gaylor. I strongly believe that like the East Surrey’s, Northants, Suffolks, tagged on scroll RDF and a slew of other badges bearing design mistakes or anomalies it is a WW1 made oddity.
Obviously if you want a primary source or picture of it in wear then fair enough I don’t think there is one yet. But like the above badges there is no SP instructing the change.
The braze hole question has been well discussed before I would suggest searching Lambourne and Tiptaft WW1 badges to see they were not always used.
The badge highlighted in post #1 is found both with and without braze holes from the same die.
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I am open to being persuaded to change my opinion if there is evidence of the badge being worn and I also accept the argument that there are manufacturer's variations in cap badge production.
Is there documentary evidence that orders for Leinster Regiment badges were placed with Lambourne and, or, Tiptaft.
Whilst I have respect for both K&K and Gaylor, neither are infallible.
With regard to badge dealers, it is in their interest to promote these badges as genuine and they may well be right in this case, but where is the evidence?
I do not like that the badge does not confirm to the designated pattern, particularly with regard to the tips of the shaft of the feathers being in a different metal to the rest of the plumes.
I equally do not understand how this pattern is "labour saving" as suggested by another poster, as it has to be brazed together at three points instead of at two points with the original badge.
If the Leinster Regiment had continued to exist with the same cap badge into WW2, I would accept that there may well have been construction modifications as with many other regimental cap badges. However, they were a relatively small regiment having fewer service battalions than other regiments and they were disbanded in 1922. I would question the need for a high number of cap badges to be ordered for them compared with larger regiments.
Like all of the other disbanded Irish Regiments, their badges are highly sought after and subsequently frequently copied.
I have a few photographs of Leinster Regiment soldiers in my collection, and whilst portrait photographs are often unclear with regard to the badges being worn, and given that photographs of Leinster Regiment soldiers are even rarer than Leinster Regiment cap badges, I have not seen any evidence that the cap badge under discussion was ever worn. I am of course happy to be proved wrong.
In every one of the photographs below, the plumes are of one piece construction with two overlays.