Australian felt Signs

Has anyone got a source for reference Date / unit ? on these cloth signs. Other items in collection were British WW2 printed and badges up to Vietnam era???

[BWEF]

That is quite a collection that you have picked up.

These flashes are known as colour patches, and those with a grey border were worn by the 2AIF - those who volunteered to serve oversea's in WW2.

Here is something to start you off:

http://colourpatch.com.au/index.php?main_page=page&id=2

Remember, "google is your friend", and any you can't find will, no doubt, be identified in this forum.

Many thanks I have a reference by Philip Blackwell of the modern ones. There were over 40 of these 'blankets' another was British and there were some Canadian luckily I managed to be the first in line to pick the good bits on commonwealth. Many thanks for the link, Andrew

[Chrisr]

You have a very nice collection there.

One source is the Colour Patch Register 1915 - 1949 published by the Australian Army in 1993 but is as scarce as hen's teeth, and its not complete.

Volume III of the Official History of Australia in the War 1914-18: The AIF in France 1916 has three coloured charts of the 1st AIF colour patches, some of which are in your collection.

There are other coloured charts that have been produced for 2nd AIF patches (the ones with the grey border).

Looking at your second photo.
First row - L to R Land HQ; and the next seven I think are LHQ units but I can’t find a reference to them.The last four are HQ 1st Australian Army, 1st Army Engineers, ?1st Amy Transport; !st Army Provost
Second row - 1st Army Training School (horizontal green, yellow, green); HQ 2nd Australian Army, 2nd Armt Engineers; Transport, Provost; and Signals, 2nd Army Training School (vertical green, yellow, green); The triangular patches are - grey border 1st Australian Corps, in sequence L to R Second and first in third Line - Corps HQ; Corps Arty but the red should at the top; Corps Engineers; Corps Medical; ?; Corps Provost Company, Corps Transport, Corps Signals,
Third row - second patch ?; Triangular patches with the green border are 2nd Australian Corps - Corps Arty but red should be at the top, Corps Engineers, Corps Medical Corps Transport, next two ?.
Fourth row - Triangular patches with red border 3rd Australian Corps in sequence L to R Corps Arty but red should be at the top, Corps Engineers; Corps Medical; Corps Provost Company; Corps Transport; Corps Signals. next one yellow border enclosing red ?; then 1st Australian Div HQ (Black rectangle with white); !st Australian Div Arty; 1st Div Engineers;
Fifth row - 1st Division Medical; 1st Div Transport; 1st Division signals, The diamond shaped are 2nd Australian Division in sequence HQ, Arty, Engineers, Medical, Provost; Transport and Signals.
Sixth row The ovals are 3rd Division again use the colour combination above to identify the unit.
Seventh row Circles are 4th Division again use the colour combinations above to identify .
The next three rows 6th (horizontal triangle with grey border), 7th (diamond with grey border) and 8th Australian Divisions (Oval with grey border) and the four row is 9th Australian Division (T with grey border - second type post 1942). Going from left to right in the 6th, Division patches are Div HQ; Div arty; if the next one is purple Div Engineers; Div Medical, ? , Div Provost; Div Transport, Div Signals and the last one ?. You can follow the same pattern in the other divisions.

Third photo below the T badges.
The first four of the fifth row are L to R HQ 11 Australian Division, 11th Div Engineers, 11th Div Transport and 11th Div signals. The next ones set at a diagonal (look like two triangles sewn together to form a horizontal rectangle) 5th and 6th lroware light horse. blue over white 1st LH, green over white 2nd LH, black over white 3rd LH and so on in sequence to green over blue 11 LH. The next seven in 6th and 7th rows (rectangle with a peak) are 1st Armoured Division in sequence I think Div HQ but it should be with a grey turreted tank; Arty; Engineers; Medical; Provost, Signals; Transport; the rest in the 7th row are 3rd Armoured Division, again L to R Div HQ; Arty, Engineers, Medical; Provost; Signals: Transport. The last one (red with grey border and grey tank) is HQ 1st Armoured Brigade.
Eighth row L to R HQ 2nd Armoured Brigade (yellow with grey tank), 1st Motor Brigade; HQ 3rd Motor Brigade; HQ 4th Armoured Brigade approved 9 Feb 45 although the book shows two designs with the other approved 17 Nov 44; 4th Armoured Brigade Engineers, 4th Armoured Brigade Medical, 4th Armoured Brigade Provost Pl; 4th Armoured Brigade Signals. 4th Armoured Brigade transport.
Ninth row first five are 2nd Army Tank Brigade - possibly HQ 2nd Army tank Brigade; Medical; Provost; Transport, and Signals, and then ? and the last two in that row are 1st Armoured regiment and ?.
Tenth row L to R If its black over red 1st Armoured Tank Battalion, if its blue over red 2/9th Armoured regiment; 2/6th Armoured Regiment although the book shows two designs;; 2/10th Armoured Regiment; 2/7th Armoured Regiment; ?; ?; ?; 13th Armoured Regiment.
Eleventh row. L to R Possibly 1st Armoured Tank Battalion or 2/9th Armoured Regiment (right sleeve); ?; if the lower colour is dark blue 2/11th Armoured Regiment; 2/1st Armoured Regiment; ?; the next two are possibly 1st and 10th LH and the last is 6th Division Cavalry Regiment.
Last row L to R 7th, 8th and 9th Div Cavalry Regiments; 2/st Armd Brigade Recon Sqn, 16th Infantry Brigade,; 17th Infantry Brigade, 18th Infantry Brigade; 5th Infantry Brigade; and 6th Infantry Brigade

Seventh Photo 4th and 5th rows. The double diamond patches are Independent Companies from 1st (green with grey border) to 7th Independent Companies (brown with grey border) The next is 2/7th Commando Regiment (red and blue0 and then 8th and 9th Independent Companies.

Its getting alte so I’ll finish off now, and look at the others later.

Cheers
Chris

[Bill A]

Hi Hanbut, That is an amazing accumulation of patches. One caution. They appear to be fastened to the blanket by straight pins? Watch out for rust, and the fabric will have "memory", which in the case of felt can be very difficult to remove. (The pins will leave marks.)
BWEF, thanks for the link to the Aussie patch dealer site. Most of their material appears to be modern issue?
A good reference for the First WW and Second WW colour patches is K. Glyde's Distinguishing Colour Patches of the Australian Military Forces 1915-1951. (Keith is a member of the Forum.)

Many thanks Chris and Bill. I will probably ebay them but would liked to have put the correct description where possible. Not really my thing but could not resist a bargain, Andrew

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Hanbut

Many thanks Chris and Bill. I will probably ebay them but would liked to have put the correct description where possible. Not really my thing but could not resist a bargain, Andrew

I'd be interested in some of the armoured patches

Mick

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by slick_mick

I'd be interested in some of the armoured patches

Mick

I have a feeling these will soon be "made to order "!

Andy

[Chrisr]

Originally Posted by Bill A

BWEF, thanks for the link to the Aussie patch dealer site. Most of their material appears to be modern issue?

Correct Bill. They are the current issue colour patches worn on the slouch hat puggaree. First introduced in the early 1990's.

Cheers
Chris

[Chrisr]

Hanbut,

Two points of clarification in my first post. Where Infantry Brigades are mentioned the patch is for the HQ of that brigade. Originally the Independent Companies were numbered 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc and fairly early on were re-designated 2/1st.2/2nd, 2/3rd; etc

Correction on the last row of the third photo. I didn’t pick up the dark blue rectangle with the grey border - HQ 19th Infantry Brigade, thus the green diamond is HQ 5th Infantry Brigade and the red diamond is HQ 6th Infantry Brigade.

Addition. Second Photo Rows two, and eight to ten The patches with the grey border, red, then white centre are postal corps. So triangle row two 1st Aust Corps Postal; horizontal rectangle 6 Div Postal; diamond 7th Div Postal; Oval 8th Div Postal. and T with white and red vertical 9th Div Postal 2nd type right arm (original 9th Div postal was a circle grey, red and white)


See also these albums from lettman re 2nd AIF armoured patches:
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ad.php?t=43603
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...p?albumid=2490
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...p?albumid=2481

Chris

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by 2747andy

I have a feeling these will soon be "made to order "!

Andy

You can readily get WW2 colour patch reproductions already.

They are in most cases, easy to tell apart from the originals.

Popular with people to add to memorial frames when an original can't be found.

Mick

[Bill A]

Mick is there any particular "supplier"?

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by Bill A

Mick is there any particular "supplier"?

Not really - made by various people in Australia and overseas.

If anyone is chasing reproductions, I have some mates who sell them.

Mick

[Bill A]

Thanks Mick. Not really chasing repros, just wanted to be aware.

[Chrisr]

Hanbut,

Fifth Photo

Third row lower part commencing below the 33rd Battalion are the 40th, 41st, 42nd, 63rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th Infantry Battalions Infantry.

Fourth row. 48th, 49h, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th 59th and 60th Infantry Battalions,

Fifth row. 61st, 62nd Infantry Battalions (disbanded 1916) the next three are 66th, 65th and 67th Infantry Battalions raised in 1946 and became the 2nd, 1st and 3rd Battalions respectively The Royal Australian Regiment; The remaining five are the 2/1st, 2/2nd, 2/3rd, 2/4th, and 2/5th Battalions 2nd AIF.

Sixth row. 2/6th; 2/7th, 2/8th, 2/9th (first type) 2/10th (first type) , 2/11th, 2/12th (first type) 2/13th(second type), and 2/14th Infantry Battalions

Seventh row 2/15th (second type), 2/16th, 2/17th (second type), 2/18th , 2/19th, 2/20th, 2/21st, 2/22nd, 2/13th (second type) Battalions.

Eight row. 2/15th (second type), 2/25th, 2/21st, possibly 2/27th (lower colour should be light blue) 2/28th,2/29th, 2/30th, 2/31st, 2/32nd and 2/33rd Infantry Battalions.

Ninth row. 2/40th, 2/43rd (second type), 2/17th (second type) Infantry Battalions; 2/7th Field Regiment; 2/8th Field Regiment; 2/12th Field Regiment;; 3rd Anti Tank Regiment; 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment; ? but with the peak uppermost Medium Regiments and vertical with the peak to the left Survey Regiments; and last one ?

Tenth Row Static Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiments, Static AASL Units; Heavy Batteries; Medium Regiments; HQ RAA Corps; AA Regiments and Batteries; ?; Mountain Batteries; ? Mobile AASL Batteries; the next three ?

Chris