It is a pure guess, but due to its rarity, is the gilt grenade with gilt crowned cypher mounted on the ball the RSM’s badge?
Kipling and King say that this is an officers’ forage cap badge that has continued through from 1896 (VR, KK889), the cypher specific to each monarch, up to and including Queen Elizabeth II. If this was the case they should be relatively common but the only one I’ve seen was for sale in Bosley’s Postal Auction (43) 25/01/2006, Lot 186 (and it made £330), described as “Grenadier Guards rare GvR Commissioned Quartermaster’s cap badge……”. The silver crowned cypher mounted version (KK1949) is attributed to “Staff” (meaning battalion SNCO’s above Colour Sergeants?) between 1911-1936, then Commissioned Quartermasters only post 1937.
Bill
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