Corporal's stripes

[boots and saddles]

I have a number of Battle Dress tunics which I am getting rid of, some with stripes some without, I have one tunic with Corporal's stripes with a little stripe in between, I have never noticed it before until it was pointed out to me. I know it is a one piece rank & not two singles but I have seen other one piece Corporal's rank & they didn't have it either. Can anyone tell me if it means anything other than a seperation of the two stripes. Ray

[boots and saddles]

I always forget the attachments. Here are the two examples. No they are not printed.

[John Cameron]

Ray,
The stripes on the left are a late war pattern introduced in late 1944 or early 1945 and worn for a number of years after the war.

[RCN]

I had seen Ray's photo of his Cpl tunic & I also wondered about this thin stripe between the two thicker stripes. I had never seen this chevron type in the past.

Nice to have it ID'd with yr,
Bryan

[54Bty]

Are they printed and that is the cut line? There does look to be a thin line at the top and bottom.

[John Cameron]

The late war chevrons have a greenish or brown welt embroidered directly on top of the material, creating the impression of separate chevrons.
<p>
Top to bottom:
Smaller size typical Second War period pattern.
Late war pattern.
Post war pattern worn from the late 1940s up to the introduction of CF insignia in the 1970s.

[2747andy]

John, nice to see you used the (Correct) term Chevrons and not "Stripes" (Yuk). I always thaught that it was Tigers and Zebras that had stripes!!! lol. Nearly as bad as Officer's pips (????), citrus fruit have pips, or for those who remember pay phones, the awful sound when your money was running out!! lol

Officers wear "Stars" not pips (Yuk)!!

Andy

[Wyn vdSchee]

Good on you Andy, striking a blow for correct terminology on this forum!
Wyn

[boots and saddles]

Actually RCN was the first to spot the thin center line. Good eye. Bryan

Am I not right in thinking that the stripes (chevrons is a French word) with the black division between them are two individual stripes sewn on to a back cloth ? Ther black line would therefore be a division between the two if that is the case. The others seem to be composite double stripes - made as a single piece. Of course, my impressions from the photographs may be wrong but I would welcome a closer look. GD

[2747andy]

GD Tut, tut......tut!

you of all people should know that although chevron(1) may originate from the French language, it is included in most good English dictionaries (you must have one of those in your library) and therefore part of the English language.

The use of the slang term of "stripe"(2) when referring to a NCOs badge of rank is common place but incorrect. A member of the Household Division would never dream of using such an awful word to describe such hard earned emblems. Use of such a word would result in getting a stripe(3) across ones knuckles!!!

Can we please use correct terms and not slang, you will be advocating the use of the word "pips" next!

"God help us!!!" LOL

Andy


(1) Chevron - Mil. a badge or insignia consisting of one or more V-shaped stripes to indicate a non-commissioned rank or length of service.
(2) Stripe - A strip, band or chevron worn on a military uniform to indicate rank.
(3) Stripe - A stroke from a whip, rod, cane, etc.

[tynesideirish]

I think you'll find the chevrons have been sewn to a backing cloth by the tailor, these would make a long strip of v's. He would cut 2 or 3 depending on rank needed from the bottom and sew them to a smarter back ground for sewing to the BD. Thus leaving the result seen. It's this cheaper thin back cloth making the thin stripe between chevrons.
Simples!

My thanks to TynesideIrish for re-stating my view that these are individual stripes sewn on to a back cloth, thus the apparent black division. As to Andy's comments - please feel free to call stripes whatever you wish, pips too ! After all, we do live in a democracy, don't we ? Thank you for including the dictionary definition of 'stripes' too - self explanatory, I think and simples too !

[NorthStafford]

As a matter of interest not only are they much more commonly called stripes in the army than chevrons, although official list probably do use chevrons, but in the Household Cavalry when I was attached they were normally called Bars by the ORs so a Cpl would be a 2 bar and a Cpl of Horse a 3 bar, SSMs etc were of course 4 bars.

[2747andy]

NS,
your memory fails you, the non-commissioned/Warrant officer ranks in the Household cavalry are:

Trooper (not a rank as such)
Lance Corporal - 2 Chevrons and a metal crown
Lance Corporal of Horse - 3 Chevrons and a cloth crown
Corporal of Horse - 3 Chevrons and a metal crown
Squadron Quartermaster Corporal/Staff Corporal - 4 inverted Chevrons and a metal crown
Squadron Corporal Major/Regimental Quartermaster Corporal - Crown/Crown in laurels
Regimenal Corporal Major - Royal Coat of Arms

Bars are a slang word for Chevrons as they wear Brass chevrons "Bars" in working & barrack dress made by the farrier. The term sergeant is not used in the Household Cavalry (H.Cav) as it derives from the word for slave or servant. As the Regiments of the H.Cav were formed from gentlemen loyal to the Kingn it was not appropriate for them to be called servants!

Andy!

Zebras an Tigers have stripes - Soldiers were chevrons!