8th & 39 Infantry Brigades

[Pegasus]

During the early 80's in Northern Ireland. There were 2 Brigades. They were 39 Infantry Brigade with its HQ at Thiepval Barracks Lisburn, and 8th Infantry Brigade who were in Londonderry (Ebrington Bks). Whilst Formation Signs were rarely (if ever) worn on clothing, they both did have Formation Signs that appeared on Sign Boards and embossed stationery. I beleive 39 Bde's was a Black Upright Horseshoe (not sure of the background colour (Green ?). Can anyone help out with the design and colours of the 8 Bde sign ? There were other Brigades in the late 80's / 90's, and then Politics took over and Brigade Names that contained the word "Ulster" were deemed inflamatory and sadly quickly changed.

[grey_green_acorn]

Here are formations signs of 3 Infantry Brigade (Portadown), 8 Infantry Brigade (Londonderry) and 39 Infantry Brigade (Lisburn). I leave it to other members to describe when or even if (in the case of 3 Inf Bde) they were worn.

Tim

[BILL DUGGAN]

From a friend ............Billy,


39 Infantry Brigade was indeed an upright horseshoe on a GREEN background


8 Infantry brigade was a black triangle with a smaller inverted red triangle inside it.


Mike

[Mike Jackson]

As I recall none were worn in 1973. I think that the sign of 3 Inf Bde was only ever worn in UK and Cyprus long before the establishment of the HQ in Portadown. It also existed in an EonF style.

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by BILL DUGGAN

From a friend ............Billy,


39 Infantry Brigade was indeed an upright horseshoe on a GREEN background


8 Infantry brigade was a black triangle with a smaller inverted red triangle inside it.


Mike

Bill,
The black triangle with a small inverted red triangle inside it is the formation sign of 3 (Infantry later UK) Division and is still worn today. I served in NI on 5 tours each of 2 years between December 1970 and the last ending in December 1999. Of course it is difficult to prove a negative, and there are alway exceptions to rules and regulations, but I do not recall seeing any of the Brigade formation signs being worn on uniform although they were on vehicles and HQ signboards.
Indeed, wearing formation signs on dpm clothing (pre CS95 issues) was generally not allowed although DZ flashes were worn by Airborne formations and units. It was the early deployments in Bosnia wearing the United Nations "blue helmet" and Gulf War 1 which saw a profileration of formation signs and Regimental, Corps and unit Tactical Recognition Flashes many of which after attempts at rationalisation by the Army Dress Committee are still worn today.

[signalman]

3inf Bde H.Q. and Sig Sqn. I was with the formation in U.K. July 1971 and served with them in N.I. from Feb 72 through July 73 at the Knicker Factory Kitchen Hill Lurgan.No badges were issued or worn, as has been stated very few badges were worn on combat's at this time. The colours of the other Brigade's seem right to me. Phil.

[iain]

Would it be safe to say that from the demise of the battledress untill the introduction of the 95 kit formation signs where not or rarely used,i have asked people before when trying to find out the formation badges used by the RGJ in the 70's and nobody could really give me a straight answer. iain

[Pegasus]

Thank you all for your prompt replies. Grey Green Acorn has correctly pointed out that 3 Infantry Brigade and 3 Infantry Division have differing symbols.

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by iain

Would it be safe to say that from the demise of the battledress untill the introduction of the 95 kit formation signs where not or rarely used,i have asked people before when trying to find out the formation badges used by the RGJ in the 70's and nobody could really give me a straight answer. iain

Formation signs were worn on olive green combat jackets (smocks combat sateen on the label) from the 1950s until around 1970 when the first patterns of dpm (disruptive pattern material) smocks were issued. Generally no formation signs were to be worn on dpm clothing although regulations were sometimes ignored and there were authorised exceptions for airborne Drop Zone Flashes. Signs were also worn on the Jersey Wool Heavy and on shirt sleeves! As described in my earlier post the UN Bosnia deployments and Gulf War 1 resulted in the wide use of signs and badges to reinforce unit identities from the early 1990s. By the time CS95 clothing was issued from around 1996 the ADC began to approve designs and the wearing of formation signs and TRFs is now standard.

Tim

[REMEVMBEA1]

The 3 Inf Bde (cricket stumps) sign was worn and used on vehicles in Cyprus from 1960 to 1963. (I know , I was that soldier) but I don't recall ever wearing any formation signs on Olive Green combats , not even TRFs.

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by REMEVMBEA1

The 3 Inf Bde (cricket stumps) sign was worn and used on vehicles in Cyprus from 1960 to 1963. (I know , I was that soldier) but I don't recall ever wearing any formation signs on Olive Green combats , not even TRFs.

One possible reason was that olive green "Combat Kit" was designed initially for cold weather wear and then for temperate theatres and was not a personal clothing issue being withdrawn when the soldier was posted to warmer places to be dry cleaned and reissued!
There is photographic evidence that formation signs (the Berlin Infantry Brigade was one) were worn by some units on olive green combat kit although perhaps on a brassard for easy removal.

Tim