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Old 07-04-16, 04:29 AM
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hagwalther hagwalther is offline
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Hi Guys,

As my name is being quoted a bit in this thread so I'll step in here to make sure where everyone is in relation to my research into A/A cap badges.

1. I only based my research on official documentation. In all cases this doco is given as a reference at the foot of the chapter where it was written up. Therefore, what I wrote is verifiable.

Authors like Edwards, Kipling & King, Lumley never, as far as I can tell, state where they received their information from. As such we have no idea if what they wrote was accurate as there is no trail back to defining documentation.

In effect I only state that specific badges were officially authorised for issue. I have no idea, in may cases, if they were even issued let alone worn and I make this point very clear, in multiple places, in the text.

2. I did included anecdotal evindence in my book where I thought it important such as the early pattern ROAC cap badge. An example was found a few weeks ago in Australia and is now with Alan.

3. In a few cases only did I state that a specific badge was worn. The reason for this was that there is almost sod all official evidence that any specific A/A cap badge was actually worn. An example of an A/A cap badge being officially recorded as issued is that of the Highland Brigade.

re; Royal Wiltshire Territorials - for those of you who do not have my book. Here is some info from the chapter A Tangle of Territorials Page 171:

...the third document of note in relation to TA badges comes from a loose document titled Amalgamated Regiments which do not have a Regimental cap badge. This document is extremely important for collectors in that it states that the following anodised aluminium cap badges never got as far as being issued, although some were initially authorised for issue. Such deferment is also recorded in the at the 178th Meeting of the War Office Dress Committee held on 12th April 1967, where the Dorset Territorials, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Territorials, Oxfordshire Territorials, Royal Berkshire Territorials and the Royal Wiltshire Territorials are specifically noted. At the 185th Meeting of the War Office Dress Committee, held on 10th April 1968, it is recorded that all action that was related to the procurement of anodised aluminium cap badges for TAVR III units was halted, up to and including the approval of finished samples. It is unknown, however, if any contracts for the bulk manufacture of TAVR III cap badges that had previously been placed were also cancelled and the manufacturers indemnified...

This discussion continues through to the end of the chapter but my opinion is this.

Unless someone can come up with some other official doco then any A/A cap badges purportedly to be of the Royal Wiltshire Territorials are either:

1. One of the very rare initial samples.
2. An item from a initial manufacturing run that was later cancelled with the badges later thrown to the wind so to say.
3. An unofficial commission i.e. a dud.

I think it more probably that item 3. is the more accurate.

Regards,

Chris

Last edited by hagwalther; 07-04-16 at 04:38 AM.
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