Dual Colour Use Anodised Aluminium Cap Badges

[Mike H]

Ref:-Royal Irish Regt,i think the silver and gold thing is a crossover from when the regt came into existance.
All the photos i have/had showed R.Irish wearing a silver badge.
But the TA regt was still R.Irish Rangers and the UDR was still in existance.I believe that the gold badges were UDR badges.But i would like to bet that the UDR and R.Irish came from the same die,and were then coloured gold or silver.

[Alan O]

The UDR were all gold but their sucessors the Royal Irish were all silver. Again the 2 designs were sequential and not worn together.

Alan

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by hagwalther

Thanks Paddy,

Don't know about Berkshire Yeomanry. Alan - is one Yeomanry and the other Royal Berkshire Territorials?

Royal Irish Rangers - would say are error as the badge is supposed to be gold and silver.

Have included Gloucestershire Regt. back badges but what is the reason for the two different colours?

Regards

Chris

Do we know 100% that the gold A/A back badge is a Gloucester item ?even if its an error.
I asked this in a previous thread about the RRGH.
1)Could the gold coloured badgebe the back badge to the Gloucesters when they wore the Wessex brigade badge.
2)or was it still silver back badgewith a gold Wyvern front badge.
3)or was no back badge worn.
The no back badge option is in my mind very doubtful as the back badge was retained through the RGBW period and is still worn in the Rifles period.

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Alan O

The UDR were all gold but their sucessors the Royal Irish were all silver. Again the 2 designs were sequential and not worn together.

Alan

Thanks Alan,

Have upated post #1 to reflect this.

Regards

Chris

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Mike H

Do we know 100% that the gold A/A back badge is a Gloucester item ?even if its an error.
I asked this in a previous thread about the RRGH.
1)Could the gold coloured badgebe the back badge to the Gloucesters when they wore the Wessex brigade badge.
2)or was it still silver back badgewith a gold Wyvern front badge.
3)or was no back badge worn.
The no back badge option is in my mind very doubtful as the back badge was retained through the RGBW period and is still worn in the Rifles period.

Hi Mike,

No idea but it could well be the Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire or Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire unit. Task for the weekend - can you find out? I will update post #1 as advised.

Cannot remember anything from the files re: back badges and Wessex badge worn by Gloucestershire Regt but will get to it in a month or so - sorting out approx. 220 sealed patterns entries for anodised aluminium cap badges at the moment.

Regards

Chris

[Mike H]

Originally Posted by hagwalther

Hi Mike,

No idea but it could well be the Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire or Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire unit. Task for the weekend - can you find out? I will update post #1 as advised.

It certainly wasnt RGBW,all their badges were from the new type metal,although the back badge was gold.If my memory serves me correctly the back badge was bladed.

The possiblity that it was RRGH was discussed :-www.britishbadgeforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6849
I think this thread came down on the side of a silver back badge.

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by hagwalther

Hi There,

Well this is quite important. There is no silver badge in the IWM collection from the 1970's which implies that there was not one immediately before this date and it looks like there was not one after it as noted by a serving member of the corp at the time. I must admit that although I know of one in existance I have to believe that it is a manufacturers error.

The pattern for the St. Edward Crown was sealed on the 10th June 1955 so I suppose that there is a change that a new pattern was made in silver during the 15 years to 1970 but somehow I doubt it.

Many Thanks for helping out.

Regards

Chris

Chris,
Intelligence Corps soldiers were permitted to wear a "Side Cap" prior to about 1977. These were not issued but privately purchased complete with cap badge (which were also sold separately) from the Intelligence Corps Association shop (equivalent to the PRI). It is possible that at some stage a non-ordnance issue supply of cap badges was obtained in a silver finish. I certainly have examples in my collection that have no maker mark on the slider.
Also of interest is that the April 1984 COSA lists under Badge Organisation - Cap:
Int Corps 8455 99 973 9468 Natural Other ranks with vertical pin.
No other badge had the metal and colour described as Natural, the usual descriptor being Aluminium, anodised, gold or silver etc. I have never seen a Sealed Pattern Card but I wonder what colour/metal it shows and what an unofficial manufacturer/supplier would make?

[54Bty]

Sphinx back badges go:

Brass (Glosters) there are a least 3 sizes.
Gold aa (Glosters) gold aa as the equivalent to brass, later changed to silver same part numbers kept.
Silver aa (RRGH) published in the 1973 Catalogue.
Gold metal (RGBW)
Silver metal (The Rifles)

[Alan O]

There is also a large bi-metal back badge probably from the early 1920s.

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn

Chris,
Intelligence Corps soldiers were permitted to wear a "Side Cap" prior to about 1977. These were not issued but privately purchased complete with cap badge (which were also sold separately) from the Intelligence Corps Association shop (equivalent to the PRI). It is possible that at some stage a non-ordnance issue supply of cap badges was obtained in a silver finish. I certainly have examples in my collection that have no maker mark on the slider.
Also of interest is that the April 1984 COSA lists under Badge Organisation - Cap:
Int Corps 8455 99 973 9468 Natural Other ranks with vertical pin.
No other badge had the metal and colour described as Natural, the usual descriptor being Aluminium, anodised, gold or silver etc. I have never seen a Sealed Pattern Card but I wonder what colour/metal it shows and what an unofficial manufacturer/supplier would make?

Thanks Mate.

Yes, I have seen this 'natural' in other CCN/COSA's too.

I have also sent you an email - can you respond when you get a mo.

Regards

Chris

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

Sphinx back badges go:

Brass (Glosters) there are a least 3 sizes.
Gold aa (Glosters) gold aa as the equivalent to brass, later changed to silver same part numbers kept.
Silver aa (RRGH) published in the 1973 Catalogue.
Gold metal (RGBW)
Silver metal (The Rifles)

Thanks 54 Bty,

OK - gold and silver are both officially issued items.

Regards

Chris

[Mike_2817]

I have seen in the flesh an all silver RAOC Queens crown anodised badge, but to as what purpose I do not know. I am actively seeking an example for my RAOC collection.

[bess55]

Evening Gents,
my offerings on this topic not mentioned above:-

Army Catering Corps (2nd pattern). ALL GOLD - ALL SILVER

Intelligence Corps (QC) ALL SILVER (JR Gaunt slider)

Royal Logistics Corps - ALL SILVER

RAMC. ALL SILVER. ALL GOLD

Devon & Dorset Regt. ALL SILVER

The Staffordshire Regt. ALL GOLD

Royal Green Jackets. ALL GOLD (clearly error)

Cheshire Regt. ALL GOLD

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. ALL GOLD. ALL SILVER.

3rd Carabiniers. ALL SILVER (clearly been worn)

5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. ALL GOLD (?)

15/19 Kings Royal Hussars. ALL GOLD

SAS. ALL GOLD

Light Infantry. ALL GOLD ( ? )

Gurkha MP. ALL SILVER

Gurkha staff band. ALL GOLD

The Royal Hussars. ALL GOLD

RTR. ALL GOLD (JR Gaunt marked)

Royal Scots. ALL SILVER. ALL GOLD (this has been worn)

RRW. ALL GOLD

RA (1st pattern, small beret). ALL SILVER

RA (1st pattern, large cap). ALL SILVER. (also silver collar bombs)

Scots Guards. ALL SILVER

Irish Guards. ALL SILVER

14/20 Kings Hussars. ALL SILVER (no its not a Gurkha arm badge it has a slider)

Yorkshire Volunteers. ALL GOLD

Royal Alderny Militia. ALL GOLD. ALL SILVER

Now, before you all start tutting, YES of course there are clearly some errors and abhorations here. However all the colours quoted are correct, they are not faded gold or blank alloy examples etc.

Some oddities, but perhaps food for thought as they do exist. It is a little difficult to believe that quality control was that bad across all the makers we know and love.

Who knows.

All the best Gents

Bess

[hagwalther]

Hi Bess,

I think the quality control in regard to colouring was appalling at times and there is a very good reason for this which I am working on now.

I also have gold Parachute Regt. and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

Regards

Chris

[tonyb]

Hello Chris,
picked this one up this morning W/M anodised aluminium General Service Corps badge.
Hope this is of interest Tony.