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  #1  
Old 18-06-13, 05:48 PM
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Default Royal Fusiliers, "large badge"

I have had this Royal Fusiliers badge (140mmx105mm) since the formation of the Regiment in 1968 and have no idea where it was (is?) worn. I have placed it beside the current beret badge for comparison. Long (approx. 20mm ) prongs on the reverse.
May have been an initial issue for the Colour Belt.

Ideas, suggestions and photographic evidence welcome please

Best wishes

Gordon
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File Type: jpg Royal Fusiliers large badge rev.jpg (57.6 KB, 47 views)
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  #2  
Old 18-06-13, 06:30 PM
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Difficult to judge sizes but is this the badge worn by Pioneers on their aprons ?

P.B.
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  #3  
Old 18-06-13, 08:07 PM
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Gordon,
I had the same thought as Peter, I have a different pic of the Pioneers but like Peter's they are wearing a badge with the narrower flame pattern, I even checked pics of the Antelope mascot & he is wearing narrow flames too!! I'll keep looking but it must be something along those lines,
All the best for now,
Wilf.
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  #4  
Old 19-06-13, 04:41 AM
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Hi there,

I have this badge in my Variant Infantry album at 135x105mm and was told it was worn in the fur cap by the Royal Fusiliers.

Am I missing something in that it was not worn in the fur cap?

Regards Dean
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  #5  
Old 19-06-13, 01:50 PM
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RRF Drummers large badge JM.jpg[ATTACH]84862[/ATTACH
post-821-1220135452.jpgRRF Piper.jpg

First seen within the Fusilier Brigade/RRF and it was indeed worn on the fur cap and later the apron. The attached lovely photo did infact appear in the MHS Bulletin many years ago showing it actually being worn in the fur cap, but as you can imagine it looked well out of place, when considering the slender patterns that had previosly been worn by Fusilier Regiments.

The photo of the Pioneers show's the later pattern 'fur cap' grenade, which was an absolute 'abortion'(see attached), also adopted for wear with the apron, but with scarlet cloth backing, as seen in the attached coloured plate. The same badge was also adopted by the Northumbrian Piper of 1st RRF, as a plaid broach.

The large grenade which I own has a black cloth backing, which again would be for the apron, but to-date I cannot find which battalion wore it.
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  #6  
Old 19-06-13, 04:02 PM
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Hello Gordon,

With the ' Fur Cap ' grenade being worn differently depending on the circumstances, it is blatantly obvious that your version with such wide flames is a made up effort and it should be sent to Tamworth straight away to be destroyed properly

Dave.
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  #7  
Old 19-06-13, 04:12 PM
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Now that's interesting - note the direction of St.George & Dragon on your old RRF grenade to the one I've illustrated, which belongs to a former RRF man!!!
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  #8  
Old 19-06-13, 05:01 PM
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Hello Graham,

With the risk of me showing myself up......again. I believe both my examples are Royal Regiment of Fusiliers rather than Northumberland Fusiliers type, if I'm wrong, the smilie is suitable

Dave.

PS, Now I'm confused, my two are facing the same way as the Northumberland Fusiliers, I must have erred somewhere in the past and bought the wrong badges, if they are not RRF or RF they are outside my remit, help please someone ???

Dave
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Last edited by davec2; 19-06-13 at 05:08 PM. Reason: PS
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  #9  
Old 19-06-13, 05:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davec2 View Post
Hello Graham,

With the risk of me showing myself up......again. I believe both my examples are Royal Regiment of Fusiliers rather than Northumberland Fusiliers type, if I'm wrong, the smilie is suitable

Dave.

PS, Now I'm confused, my two are facing the same way as the Northumberland Fusiliers, I must have erred somewhere in the past and bought the wrong badges, if they are not RRF or RF they are outside my remit, help please someone ???

Dave
True - both of yours are RRF, but I'm intrigued as to why your gm example is a good quality striking, as good a strike as the old pattern Fusilier grenades. Whereas the original FB/RRF gm grenades were 'rubbish' with regards to quality, as I believe they were made in Pakistan. As far as I'm aware there was no change in this 'rubbish' quality, until the new plated bim grenade made it's appearance, which as you will appreciate is a nice looking item and worthy of the RRF.
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  #10  
Old 19-06-13, 10:25 PM
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Default RRF 1968 pattern grenade badge

Hi Peter, Wilf, Dean, Graham and Dave

Many thanks for all your responses; I think we have now found an answer or at least a part of it.
The clincher for me is Graham's picture of the Corps of Drums wearing what I now believe to be the badge I put up initially in their Fusilier caps or bearskins. I am assuming this dates from c1968.
Whereas I am familiar with what we might call the usual (i.e. "slimmer") form of the Fusilier Grenade, as in Dave's photograph, the 1968 version is much wider and clearly different.
So thank you all for your contributions.
It now begs the question as to whether or not this same 1968 pattern was also worn on the Pioneers apron? Does anyone have another picture, like the Corps of Drums, with RRF Pioneers wearing their aprons please? Is there a coloured backing and if so what colour?

Best wishes

Gordon
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  #11  
Old 20-06-13, 02:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1stTankie View Post
Hi Peter, Wilf, Dean, Graham and Dave

Many thanks for all your responses; I think we have now found an answer or at least a part of it.
The clincher for me is Graham's picture of the Corps of Drums wearing what I now believe to be the badge I put up initially in their Fusilier caps or bearskins. I am assuming this dates from c1968.

It now begs the question as to whether or not this same 1968 pattern was also worn on the Pioneers apron? Does anyone have another picture, like the Corps of Drums, with RRF Pioneers wearing their aprons please? Is there a coloured backing and if so what colour?

Best wishes

Gordon
I have the same problem, my very large badge has a black cloth backing to it, so it has to be an 'apron' badge, but to which battalion is unknown - however the badge itself was bought it Birmingham in 1981, so it's possible it could have belonged to the 2nd Bn,RRF.

I have a full run of 'The Fusilier' at home, which is the Journal of the RRF, but I work abroad so can't look through them.
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  #12  
Old 02-06-14, 10:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1stTankie View Post
I have had this Royal Fusiliers badge (140mmx105mm) since the formation of the Regiment in 1968 and have no idea where it was (is?) worn. I have placed it beside the current beret badge for comparison. Long (approx. 20mm ) prongs on the reverse.
May have been an initial issue for the Colour Belt.

Ideas, suggestions and photographic evidence welcome please

Best wishes

Gordon
This badge was in existence during the 1970's, I saw two examples of it not in wear, in the possession of officers of 1 RRF about 1976 -77.

It was known as "the Drummy's badge" as I believe one was worn in the fur cap by the Drum Major.

I have a photo of the Drummy at Buckingham Palace in 1976, I believe that he was wearing the badge then, but I suspect that the badge won't be identifiable as wide or narrow flamed as it was combed in to the fur.

During the 70's I saw the badge at Greenwich Market & another place I can't remember, they were described as officer's badges & selling for £10.

I never bought one as I was hoping that I'd aquire one for nothing via the battalion - it took me until a couple of years ago to get one, & it cost me more than £10.

During the 70's Drummers wore a one piece yellow metal striking, prone to snapping at the neck, hence the "abortion" purchased from a manufacturer in Pakistan in about January 1980.
Horrible cast things, they had an attractive pure copper coloured sheen when new.

I actually found one of them still in it's wrapping paper during a garage clear out this morning.

Anyway, the "big badge" - identified by Graham from photos as worn by Drummers of the Royal Fusiliers during the Fusilier Brigade era & it was presumably worn by the other three regiments of the Fus Brigade.
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