Royal Irish Fusiliers OSD badge

[Faugh-A-Ballagh]

I was just a tad disappointed at missing this beauty on ebay on Friday night as it went way over my budget! It is a badge I didn't believe actually physically existed, although after a bit of discussion with John Mulcahy, it seemed to exist on paper.

On my last visit to their museum in Armagh, there wasn't one in their excellent collection, so whoever you are who got it, and hopefully you are a member on this site and will shortly present it in an album, well done! Looks you've got a nice little rarity there!

Anyone else got one?

John

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...#ht_500wt_1156

[leigh kitchen]

From the photo it looks as if, under the brown finish, the grenade is of yellow metal, the applied design & the crown of white metal?

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

From the photo it looks as if, under the brown finish, the grenade is of yellow metal, the applied design & the crown of white metal?

John,
this was in my watch list too, but as Leigh points out, it has the look of a bronzed ORs Bim(B/W) badge? I may be wrong but I would expect the coronet to of had blades too and an eagle on the ball of the grenade and not a harp with fun bags?

Someone may have paid a lot for a ringer here?

Andy

[irishhorse]

Would say it is an officer's badge, the harp is held in place with wire pins, OR's would have air holes on the back. The coronet has lugs but looks to be die cast. An interesting badge.

[John Mulcahy]

I tend to agree with IH, the construction techniques suggest officers type. The design with Harp & POW feathers is also right the cap badge with eagle on the ball is pre 1903. But whereas the dress regs. list the service dress badges as in bronze all the photos I have seen have clearly got bright items in use (whether GM or polished OSD I could not say).

[leigh kitchen]

Ca'nt find it at the moment, but I have a "harp version" of the officer's two-piece gilt & silver badge, wire loop fittings on both sections, harp attached to the ball of the grenade by two wire prongs.

A poor photocopy of it, from back in the days when the world was black & white (I do'nt know why the "W/M" caption's there, as I recall the coronet is silver or plated):

[2747andy]

I still do not think that this badge started life in an OSD (bronze) finish. I am not saying it is a copy but looks more like it has been altered or refinished for whatever reason! It may be the photo, but the coronet and harp/plumes show signs of silver colouring at the high points. I also thought the eagled officers pattern was worn upto much later than 1903 too! You live and learn!

Andy

[Faugh-A-Ballagh]

It looks quite like an OSD Inniskillings badge I had which Dave repaired a blade on. I was a bit suspicious about the coronet having loops, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it, and as I have a fondness for this regiment, I couldn't not try for it, especially as I was missing Bangor on Saturday. There's only so much you can glean from a photo. Nothing like seeing it for real. I just hope, for the sake of whoever bought it at that price, it is a good one.

John

[irishhorse]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Ca'nt find it at the moment, but I have a "harp version" of the officer's two-piece gilt & silver badge, wire loop fittings on both sections, harp attached to the ball of the grenade by two wire prongs.

A poor photocopy of it, from back in the days when the world was black & white (I do'nt know why the "W/M" caption's there, as I recall the coronet is silver or plated):

Attached is a rear view of an OR's and officers cap badge.

[orasot]

Attached is a bronzed collar from the Firmin collection I mentioned, with the eagle pinned through, cheers,
Wilf.