More badges for ID

[conservator]

Any ideas on the identity of any of these?

1. I think that this is a Malawi Army cap badge. Was it worn on its own or in conjunction with another badge?

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 Malawi.jpg

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 Malawi rev.jpg


2. This looks to be a skill-at-arms badge but I haven't come across this configuration before. Due to the orientation of the star, it looks like it was meant to be worn with the rifle in the vertical. Any ideas?

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 Rifle and star.jpg


3. This BWVC badge is sand cast and looks typical of most pre-independence Indian badges. It has a pin on the reverse, perhaps for attachment to a turban and looks a little tarnished on the reverse, indicating some silver content, possibly an officer's badge. I'm tempted to think the 'VC' is 'volunteer corps', but am unable to find anything that would fit. Could I be looking in the wrong place?

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 BWVC.jpg

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 BWVC rev.jpg


4. This is an unusual badge. The design is Scottish, as is the central crown. It looks to be of good quality, it is gilt and has withstood being buried somewhere for some time. Some corrosion is evident on the reverse. It looks to have once been fitted with a slider. The initials, CAVC, lead me to think volunteer corp or volunteer cavalry.

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 CAVC.jpg

Badges for ident pics 17 june 14 CAVC rev.jpg


Views welcome.
Many thanks.
George

[Alex Rice]

Could #3 be British Women's Volunteer Corps or something like that?

[peter monahan]

I think the BWVC is Indian but am having no luck beating the aging brain into a closer ID.

[Anodisedbob]

Malawi is a two part cap badge there should be a "sun" shaped circle above it

Originally Posted by conservator

Any ideas on the identity of any of these?

1. I think that this is a Malawi Army cap badge. Was it worn on its own or in conjunction with another badge?

Attachment 108137

Attachment 108138


2. This looks to be a skill-at-arms badge but I haven't come across this configuration before. Due to the orientation of the star, it looks like it was meant to be worn with the rifle in the vertical. Any ideas?

Attachment 108139


3. This BWVC badge is sand cast and looks typical of most pre-independence Indian badges. It has a pin on the reverse, perhaps for attachment to a turban and looks a little tarnished on the reverse, indicating some silver content, possibly an officer's badge. I'm tempted to think the 'VC' is 'volunteer corps', but am unable to find anything that would fit. Could I be looking in the wrong place?

Attachment 108140

Attachment 108141


4. This is an unusual badge. The design is Scottish, as is the central crown. It looks to be of good quality, it is gilt and has withstood being buried somewhere for some time. Some corrosion is evident on the reverse. It looks to have once been fitted with a slider. The initials, CAVC, lead me to think volunteer corp or volunteer cavalry.

Attachment 108142

Attachment 108143


Views welcome.
Many thanks.
George

[conservator]

Alex and Peter,
Thanks for your input.
Whilst I'm still no closer to an ID, I'll have a look at any potential leads.
Thanks again.
George

[conservator]

Since posting this request some years ago, I have been able to positively identify badge #3 (BWVC) as a Bombay Women's Volunteer Corps cap / hat badge.

I still can't identify badge #2 or badge #4 though.
Any ideas anybody?
Thanks.
George

[54Bty]

I had a couple of rifles the same as your No.2. I was informed then that it was French.

Marc

[conservator]

Many thanks for your quick reply Marc, I will follow it up and see what I can find.
George

[bess55]

No.1 'Lion' is the top of a 2 piece cap badge, anodised alluminium, for the Malawi Defence Force.

[bess55]

Stock picture of a service plaque online, by way of verification.

Bess

[conservator]

Bess,
Many thanks for your replies.
I thought badge #1 was part of a Malawi Army badge when I originally posted a few years ago, and anodisedbob confirmed this; however, your posts show the correct configuration and type of finish to the 'sun' badge.
I bought a pile of pre and post-independence, a/a and gm, colonial badges from a shop in Peterborough about twenty-odd years ago, in amongst them were two 'suns', one in gold a/a, as you depict, and the other in dull silver a/a, I now know the gold a/a belongs to the lion. I had always assumed the 'suns' were collar badges for officers and ORs of the Malawi Army, now I know.
Thanks for the confirmation Bess.
George

[bess55]

George, anytime mate.

My badge collecting learning curve tends to be more of a straight line that goes upwards into the clouds!

A pleasure to share some information.

Bess

[Wmr-RHB]

I do not know if this is a red herring, but I have here Ray Westlake's "Tracing the Rifle Volunteers'. There is a photograph there of a rifleman (18th Middelsex RVC) having a horizontal rifle with two stars above on his left lower arm.

But, the rifle looks a bit different (has a sling underneath) and the stars ate four pointed.

In the caption it says:

.... The photo dates to around 1860s, the badge at this time given in Volunteer Regulations as an award to a Volunteer that had obtained 7 points or more on a range extending 900 yards. ....

[Khyber]

Originally Posted by conservator

Since posting this request some years ago, I have been able to positively identify badge #3 (BWVC) as a Bombay Women's Volunteer Corps cap / hat badge.

I still can't identify badge #2 or badge #4 though.
Any ideas anybody?
Thanks.
George

Can you tell me what is your source for identifying this badge as Bombay Womens Volunteer Corps. I am from Bombay (Mumbai) and I collect Bombay related stuff but have never heard of this specific unit. I would love to be corrected and would be delighted if you could give me reference to any printed material that says such a unit existed.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by Khyber

Can you tell me what is your source for identifying this badge as Bombay Womens Volunteer Corps. I am from Bombay (Mumbai) and I collect Bombay related stuff but have never heard of this specific unit. I would love to be corrected and would be delighted if you could give me reference to any printed material that says such a unit existed.

Postwarden may have information as he identified a cloth 'overall badge' in 2012.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=22326


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