I have been thinking that my newly purchased Burmese Peacock badge may not have any connection with the Burma Rifles despite its similarity.
Firstly, it is a thin stamping with thin lugs and and not of a particularly good quality. Possibly stamped out in a hurry to issue to a large number of people forming a new army.
It occurred to me that if it wasn't a British issued Burmese badge, it might be a Burmese made/issued badge. My next thought was why was it made and who for? It could be a cheaply made badge for a school or institution, but I would expect it would give some indication of what the school or institution was.
It then occurred to me that it might have something to do with the Burma independence movement, the peacock being a national symbol of Burma.
I found this article about the Burma Independence Army and was pleasantly surprised to see that the flag of the Burma Independence uses the same crudely stylised peacock.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Independence_Army
Given that my badge came with a Rangoon University Training Corps cap badge and that the leaders of the Thakins, the instigators of the Burma Independence Army, were nearly all radicalised students from Rangoon University, it might be something more than a badge cheaply made for tourists.
Whilst all this is conjecture at this stage, I would welcome your thoughts.
Could my badge have been worn by members of the Burma Independence movement? Did they even wear badges?