Quote:
Originally Posted by John Mulcahy
It has always been a point of conjecture as to whether piercing was abandoned on some badges during the great war to speed up production...
There is an entry as such in the RACD list of Changes in the National Archives.
Thus officially at least there was no WO instruction to eliminate voiding on Infantry badges, indeed the entry specifically comments that regiments will be happy not to see their badges disfigured. Once I am back at home I shall provide a transcription of the entry and the references as to its location at The National Archives
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Regarding the non-piercing (voiding) of cap badges as an economy effort during the Great War. I have only come across the following two entries.
From The RACD List of Changes vol 16 page 31
Badges Forage Cap R.A., R.E., A.S.C. non piercing of.
ACD/Badges/12
30/6/1916
There is no objection to piercing being omitted in the case of R.A, R.E. and A.S.C. cap badges where large numbers are concerned, as a war measure only but the proposal to substitute tape is not approved.
Signed . J. Steevens, 26-6-1916
Col. J. Steevens ranked as a Maj. General and was the Director of Equipment & Ordnance Stores in 1914. This appears to be the beginning of the ‘project” and I have not seen anything to extend it beyond the corps mentioned.
Within 5 months the following entry appears in vol. 16 page 53;
Badges Forage Cap, non-piercing of.
ACD/Badges/14
18/11/1916
The result of adoption of unpierced badges has been somewhat quicker delivery at slightly reduced cost. I do not consider that my requirement of these badges will, in future be so great as to warrant the continuation of what the units no doubt consider the disfigurement of the badges. I assume I may order pierced and thus eliminate probably complaint.
Approved: The unpierced badges are only a temporary emergency signed H.A. Anley A.D.D.C. Q.M.D.G. 18.11.16
A.D.D.C. = Assistant Director Dress & Clothing. While not proof positive that Infantry badges were not intentionally subjected to the elimination of piercing I have not come across anything for Irish Infantry or Cavalry regiments in regard to the elimination of piercing.
I have however seen that ACD/Patterns/3253 of 29-8-1916 authorizes non-piercing of metal shoulder titles for the period of the war. An entry in vol 19 page 38 notes representive samples to guide contractors of the following titles, King’s , Cornwall, R.A.M.C. Cheshire, R.W. Kent, T Monmouthshire, R.D.F., Seaforth, S. Staffs, Shropshire ,and Somerset being “sealed” under pattern 756/1916. Whether any of these non-pierced titles were made and issued before cloth titles temporarily replaced the regular metal shoulder titles I do not know, I certainly have not seen evidence of Irish ones being made.
John