[Alan O]

I don't think that you can take his word as gospel on anything as I would point out that he shows at least one badge, the Somerset Yeomanry and Light Infantry, that was designed but never made as a cap badge as the unit went out of existance. His books are a useful record of what he thought was being worn at the time particualrly with regards to the TA unit IDs.

As far as rejecting it perhaps we are at cross purposes. May I suggest that while it was acceptable as a collar for the South Staffs, it was rejected as a cap badge for the 5/6th Staffs. As such you are both right. As an aside the collar was worn pre 1914 as the obituary photo attached shows for Henry Richard Walter Knott, 7937, was in the South Staffordshire Regiment, 1st battalion. He was a Corporal and he died on 24th (26th) October 1914 at Lanniluke. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres, in Belgium.


Now the picture shows a Staffs Bn wearing it (presumably in 1968 or so). This badge is either a white metal collar badge or a privately bought shiny (anodised if you prefer) cast gold badge. However for the purist a/a collectors it is neither an anodised aluminium badge or a MOD supplied badge. Each to his own as to whether you would value it in your collection.

The only thing that surprises me is that a dealer has not ordered some gold a/a from Firmins or more likely LB&B company and met the market demand with them as has happened with the remainder of the 1968 TA units.

Alan

Alan