titles
Hi Bill,
Interesting question. I never really thought about the timelines between placing the orders and receiving the items. I would think that the Bevo's were a temporary or expedient measure to get them going and that better quality Melton titles were what was desired. It is obvious from Col. Churchill's correspondence on the matter that he though locally procured items would arrive quicker. But that actually wasn't the case.
We know that the orders for the 1000 cap badges from Gaunt and shoulder titles( from a weaving mill in Heeze that escapes my memory right now) were ordered in November but didn't arrive/get distributed until February. The woven silk titles were made on rolls and they must have received several thousand titles at least (Unit Strength in Feb. was just under 500 and each man received (avg) three pairs, with many veterans still having some unused singles and even "lengths" of uncut titles.
There is a receipt for the Melton shoulder titles arriving in June but no record of when or with who the order was placed. From the above timeline, it is possible an order for the Melton was done around the same time as the woven ones?but a regular order may have taken months to make and ship. Mid December 44 to Mid June 45 when the regiment was disbanded is only 6 months. It might have taken that long for the order to be completed and find the unit?
All regimental insignia for the 1CACR was procured and paid for by the regiment, none was army issue and none was returned to army stores, all the leftover was divvied up and brought home by the men and officers. Col. Churchill was giving away cap badges/collars/shoulder titles and history booklets away as late as 1973. Lots of unissued badges are out there somewhere.
Next week a whole new set of Kangaroo collectables will be available at our reunion and Guidon presentation ceremonies in St. Thomas. A lapel pin that is miniature cap badge, about the same size as a collar (but cannot be confused with a collar) has been produced as well as a pin representing the Kangaroo stencil that was painted on some vehicles and we produced a limited run of pewter coins (numbered 001-200, about 100+ are already spoken for) all we be available next week in St. Thomas in exchange for donations to the Elgin Regiment Foundation. Anyone here interested in these may contact me by email.
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