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  #1  
Old 17-05-21, 04:57 AM
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Default Question - Officer Service Dress (OSD) badges

Hi Guys,

I have some questions about OSD badges.

Are they still worn? And if not, when were they stopped being worn?

Also did all the post WW2 RAC/HCAV/Cavalry regiments all have OSD badges or just some of them?

Regards,

Mick
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  #2  
Old 17-05-21, 10:23 AM
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As far as I'm aware some are,but its getting less and less.

I dont think any of the current Cavalry regts wear them.
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  #3  
Old 17-05-21, 03:49 PM
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In the early 20th century, there were bronze OSD badges for virtually every regiment and Corps.
As time went on, many changed from bronze to silver/gilt, so it is very difficult to come up with a hard and fast rule. Each regiment and Corps must be addressed separately.
I don't know what the situation is regarding bronze OSD in this century as I don't collect post '53, but I think bronze has mostly fallen into disuse.

CB
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  #4  
Old 17-05-21, 04:56 PM
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OSD badges were worn by the Gloucestershire Regiment until 1994 and the Royal Hampshires until 1992.

Officers of the Royal Artillery still wear a bronzed badge in the Service Dress cap.

All ranks of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment wear a bronzed badge in the beret on a blue/yellow/blue ribbon backing.

Soldiers of the Mercian Regiment wear bronzed badges in the cap and beret. Incorrect - see next posts.

All ranks of the Yorkshire Regiment wear a bronzed and white metal badge in the beret.

Soldiers of the Blues and Royals wear a bronzed badge in the beret.

Officers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers wore a bronzed OSD badge until 2006.

Tim
Attached Images
File Type: jpg GLOSTERS.jpg (59.5 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg R HAMPSHIRE.jpg (73.9 KB, 6 views)
File Type: jpg RA.jpg (70.0 KB, 7 views)
File Type: jpg PWRR.jpg (73.4 KB, 5 views)
File Type: jpg MERCIAN OFFR (2).jpg (100.1 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg YORKSHIRE.jpg (64.8 KB, 3 views)
File Type: jpg RHG D.jpg (41.8 KB, 3 views)
File Type: jpg RWF.jpg (60.5 KB, 5 views)
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Last edited by grey_green_acorn; 18-05-21 at 01:13 PM.
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  #5  
Old 17-05-21, 05:26 PM
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As Tim has said theres no hard and fast rules .
I shall cite 2 examples from roughly the same time , the early 1950s
The Wiltshire Regt changed the cypher from AEA to the reversed PP cypher of Prince Philip. No OSD badge.
The Dorsetshire Regt changed title to the Dorset Regt. OSD badge with new title.
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  #6  
Old 17-05-21, 07:50 PM
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There is a post from Stephen Risby he found at nam/pro/iwm I think, giving details of silver/gilt badges to be worn instead of osd around 1947/9.
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  #7  
Old 18-05-21, 12:35 PM
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Tim,

Mercian Regt ORs and NCOs wear a white metal and gilt plated cap badge both in the beret and on No1 Dress cap. Officers wear an OSD Cap badge on the No2 Dress Cap and have bronze collars and buttons on Service Dress. The unofficial wear of bronze cap badges in the beret by some officers has been noted.

Mark

Quote:
Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn View Post
OSD badges were worn by the Gloucestershire Regiment until 1994 and the Royal Hampshires until 1992.

Officers of the Royal Artillery still wear a bronzed badge in the Service Dress cap.

All ranks of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment wear a bronzed badge in the beret on a blue/yellow/blue ribbon backing.

Soldiers of the Mercian Regiment wear bronzed badges in the cap and beret.

All ranks of the Yorkshire Regiment wear a bronzed and white metal badge in the beret.

Soldiers of the Blues and Royals wear a bronzed badge in the beret.

Officers of the Royal Welch Fusiliers wore a bronzed OSD badge until 2006.

Tim
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  #8  
Old 18-05-21, 01:12 PM
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Mark,
Thanks for that correction, it is obvious that there are contradictions and errors between JSP768 and MERCIAN Dress Regulations!

Tim
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  #9  
Old 18-05-21, 10:53 PM
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Well there’s a thing the British Army playing fast and loose with dress policy 😂

QUOTE=grey_green_acorn;550029]Mark,
Thanks for that correction, it is obvious that there are contradictions and errors between JSP768 and MERCIAN Dress Regulations!

Tim[/QUOTE]
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  #10  
Old 19-05-21, 09:21 AM
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Here are my notes on OSD


Officers Service Dress (OSD) was introduced by Army Orders (A.O.) 8 of 1902. The forage cap for service dress at home was a version of the 1902 Universal Pattern peaked forage cap but in drab material to match the service dress. The badge authorized for wear in OSD was a bronzed version of pattern 4642/1898.(1) Collar badges were also authorized for OSD and initially they were of the same size and design as the cap badge. Cap badges for OSD are recognized by the presence of blades as fitments and collar badges can be recognized by the presence of loops. At least two distinctive patterns of the full size cap badge are known and are illustrated below as are some other subtle differences in design due to variation among makers.


AO 54/1947 made the officers bronze badge obsolete
In 1949 a War Office directive stated that all Regiments and Corps should adopt one style of cap badge for all forms of headdress. Like many things in the British Army, nothing is that simple! What the War Office Dress Committee did do was make Officers Cap Badges an issue item for the first time, produced to a sealed pattern and stock number. Two badges were permitted, One with the shank (slider) for the newly introduced beret in Gliding or Bi-Metal for Other Ranks and Officers when in working dress, and one in Gilt/Silver and/or Enamel for all forms of Service Dress Cap. This style was formally only for the Coloured Service Dress Cap, not the Khaki example worn with Battle Dress.

So far so good! Of course the old school did not like this and the use of Bronzed badges continued well into the 50's It was only the adoption of the cloth bullion badge on coloured side caps & berets that started to kill the bronzed badge off, and the decrease in the use of the Khaki Service Cap. But customs in different Regiments & Corps ensure that where one unit adopted one style of dress, at least ten others did not.


Although the bronze OSD was disallowed in 1947, many officers wore their left SD collar in the beret. Indeed officers now used their left Service Dress collar badges as beret badges.[1]


07.07.48. WO policy re Officer's cap badges;
'a) A cap badge of the same design & size should be worn on all head-dress. These are to be of the 'Dress type', e.g. gilt or silver plated. Bronzed badges considered to be regarded as obsolescent.
In 1949 an Army Instruction was issued which directed that badges of ALL RANKS were to be of the same design, bronze (or OSD) badges were to be discontinued. This resulted in the RE badge being made in two parts and two metals, the wreath in silver, the garter, cypher and crown in gilding metal.

Many OR Yeomanry badges had a ‘brown patina’ – not made in the metal bronze. The 17th – 20th Bns (lpl Pals) also had a brown patina.




Much of this came from the late David Linaker and the late Stephen Risby - both sorely missed.




[1] I have the King's collar of the late Major Peter Krell which he said wore in his beret.
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  #11  
Old 19-05-21, 09:42 AM
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Julian,
According to this extract from ‘New Metal’ by Chris Marsh concerning Officers’ badges:

..."it was not until the mid 1980s that officers' badges and buttons were authorised for issue from 'within the system'. This is noted in the 257th meeting of the Army Dress Committee held on 23 January 1984, when decision 3260 approved the free issue of newly commissioned officers' badges and buttons and at the same time reduced each officer's Initial Outfit Allowance. This came into effect on 1 April 1986".

So perhaps we need to differentiate between ‘free issue’ over the QM clothing store counter and purchase of approved and coded items through repayment.

Tim
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  #12  
Old 19-05-21, 09:48 AM
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Thanks Tim, very interesting - I must read Chris' new book. Although I have a few Lpl Scots NM badges, they are generally too modern for me.
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