Grove M.F.G B'ham A/A Cap Badges

[ukbrits]

Hi all,
Thought I would bring up the fact about sealed patterns mentioned in K & K for anodised aluminium cap badges.In a recent thread on the Forum, Grove M.F.G B'ham has been mentioned of being in business until 1962 when the liquidators appeared to have been called in.
Looking thro' my badges I have both a Wiltshire Regt and a Parachute Regt made by Grove M.F.G.According to K&K the Wiltshire Regt badge was sealed on the 26th August1964 and the Parachute Regt badge was sealed on the 18th April 1966.Clearly Grove M.F.G must have been producing anodised aluminium badges before these sealed pattern dates (see pics).
I have also seen on E Bay and on this forum, other members Grove M.F.G badges i.e - Northamptonshires,Manchesters and Army Catering Corps 1st pattern, which must have earlier sealed patterned dates than our reference books would have us believe!
Anybody else got some more Grove M.F.G badges or can shed some light on this subject. Your opinions would be appreciated.
Regards.
Colin

[Alan O]

as an aside brass sliders are rather uncommon.

As for the sealed dates, it is quite possible that Grove were bought out in 1964 and production continued with their name for a bit?
The other option is that the badges were being made beforehand but the sealed date was delyed for some reason - it might have been that there was a second sealed date for a pattern with a/a sliders!

Alan

[ukbrits]

Hi Alan,
Grove M.F.G badges are fairly common with brass and also white metal sliders.Please see pics below of a R.Artillery & Glasgow University badges with brass sliders.
I have also included a pic of The Gloucesters with a steel slider.
I was wondering if the sealed patterns for a/a badges in K&K were for later J.R Gaunt badges or Firmins,Dowler etc.
Perhaps sealed patterns were lost in the early days of Grove M.F.G and companies like R.A Hughes or maybe not even made at all?
Anybody else got any Grove M.F.G anodised badges?
Regards.
Colin

[hagwalther]

Hi Colin,

As per usual with anodised aluminium there are a lot of unknowns out there even though their manufacture was not that long ago.

In my unfinished chapter called Manufactures and Makers Marks I have the following entry:

11. GROVE MFG B'HAM Possibly started 1857 and possibly liquidated 1962.

Note the words possibly used twice. It could be that the company did exist post 1962 or the equipment used to continue making badges with the GROVE maker mark.

If anyone can help me here then do contact me.

The other area is the actual sealing dates of badges. I have a few supplied from members here via the National Army Museum and am awaiting a list of 50 from a most reputable source in the UK. When I get them I will see if any are from the badges you have posted and then we can see if they reconcile from with those in K+K.

Best I can do at the moment I'm afraid.

Regards

Chris

[hagwalther]

Hi Colin,

Going back to my sealed pattern list as supplied by a member here via the National Army Museum I have sealed pattern dates of Royal Artillery, Other Ranks, Queens Cown of 23 Jun 1954.

In the List Of Changes dated November 1951 we have the Glostershire Regiment CB3080.

Note, to have been in the List Of Changes there would have been a sealed pattern created pre this November 1951 date.

As such, both of these could have been manufactured by GROVE pre 1962.

Regards

Chris