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  #1  
Old 25-10-20, 12:38 PM
Lois Lois is offline
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Default Unknown cap badge

Hello all

I have a photo of my great uncle (attached) taken during WWI I believe. He is wearing a cap badge that I haven’t been able to identify. He lived in County Durham so I had assumed Durham Light Infantry or Northumberland Fusiliers but the badge doesn’t appear to match either of these. Can anyone help?

Many thanks.
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  #2  
Old 25-10-20, 03:02 PM
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Hello Lois, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.
The badge in the image is the Royal Marine Artillery.
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  #3  
Old 25-10-20, 03:18 PM
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He is Royal Marine Engineers not RMA.

See here https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...rine+engineers
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  #4  
Old 25-10-20, 03:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lois View Post
Hello all

I have a photo of my great uncle (attached) taken during WWI I believe. He is wearing a cap badge that I haven’t been able to identify. He lived in County Durham so I had assumed Durham Light Infantry or Northumberland Fusiliers but the badge doesn’t appear to match either of these. Can anyone help?

Many thanks.
Hi Lois
Welcome to the Forum , great picture, as Luke has said Royal Marine Engineers.

Gerard

Gerard
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Last edited by gb64; 25-10-20 at 03:28 PM. Reason: Wrong info first ��
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  #5  
Old 25-10-20, 03:45 PM
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Thanks very much to all of you, this is exciting news. Now I can do some more research!
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  #6  
Old 25-10-20, 04:03 PM
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On most websites it is listed as Royal Marine Artillery although the badges do not have a Universal pattern Grenade. Which is attributed to Royal Marine Engineer Officers and the gent in the first post image is not.

Marc
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I am still looking for British Army cloth Formation, Regimental, Battalion, Company and other Unit sleeve badges, from 1980 onwards.
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  #7  
Old 25-10-20, 04:27 PM
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Hi Lois

Very nice picture and nice to see this specific badge being worn. The badge is one worn by the Royal Marines Engineers, a unit formed in early 1918 and I believe disbanded shortly after the end of WWI. If you get access to the book "Personal Distinctions" by John Rawlinson there is a section about the RME on pages 190 & 191 with some pictures of the badge you posted being worn on page 191. He is definitely not an officer as their badges were 2 part bronze with the letters RME on the grenade part. The 2 part gilding metal badge you have pictured seems to be attributed to corporals in the RME. There is also a one part badge which appears to be attributed to privates and pioneers. I have pictured a few of the badges I have below. First badge is the bronze officer's version, second is the 2 part corporal's badge and the third one is a representation of the 1 piece private's badge. I have also posted a fourth badge which I have not been able to verify yet but thought I would show just so you can have an idea of the variations in this small short lived unit.

Paddy
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  #8  
Old 25-10-20, 05:12 PM
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Thank you very much for your clarification, learning all the time with this Forum. Just goes to show you can not trust some websites.

Marc
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I am still looking for British Army cloth Formation, Regimental, Battalion, Company and other Unit sleeve badges, from 1980 onwards.
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  #9  
Old 25-10-20, 07:19 PM
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Thank you very much for your clarification, learning all the time with this Forum. Just goes to show you can not trust some websites.

Marc
Ditto
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  #10  
Old 25-10-20, 11:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddy View Post
Hi Lois

Very nice picture and nice to see this specific badge being worn. The badge is one worn by the Royal Marines Engineers, a unit formed in early 1918 and I believe disbanded shortly after the end of WWI. If you get access to the book "Personal Distinctions" by John Rawlinson there is a section about the RME on pages 190 & 191 with some pictures of the badge you posted being worn on page 191. He is definitely not an officer as their badges were 2 part bronze with the letters RME on the grenade part. The 2 part gilding metal badge you have pictured seems to be attributed to corporals in the RME. There is also a one part badge which appears to be attributed to privates and pioneers. I have pictured a few of the badges I have below. First badge is the bronze officer's version, second is the 2 part corporal's badge and the third one is a representation of the 1 piece private's badge. I have also posted a fourth badge which I have not been able to verify yet but thought I would show just so you can have an idea of the variations in this small short lived unit.

Paddy
Paddy, the badge in the opening post looks like a one piece badge to me, you can see where the grenade joins the globe. It looks more like your fourth badge to me.
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  #11  
Old 26-10-20, 10:07 AM
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Looks like it.
Only borrowed the badge part of the image.

Marc
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I am still looking for British Army cloth Formation, Regimental, Battalion, Company and other Unit sleeve badges, from 1980 onwards.

Last edited by 54Bty; 09-02-22 at 05:26 PM.
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  #12  
Old 27-10-20, 02:53 PM
1664 1664 is offline
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Paddy,
Great summary, your badge No4, a handful of these have turned up in the past year or so, never seen one before ‘Personal Distinctions’ was published and assume. The couple I have seen up close appear to be recently joined together.
Yours
John

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paddy View Post
Hi Lois

Very nice picture and nice to see this specific badge being worn. The badge is one worn by the Royal Marines Engineers, a unit formed in early 1918 and I believe disbanded shortly after the end of WWI. If you get access to the book "Personal Distinctions" by John Rawlinson there is a section about the RME on pages 190 & 191 with some pictures of the badge you posted being worn on page 191. He is definitely not an officer as their badges were 2 part bronze with the letters RME on the grenade part. The 2 part gilding metal badge you have pictured seems to be attributed to corporals in the RME. There is also a one part badge which appears to be attributed to privates and pioneers. I have pictured a few of the badges I have below. First badge is the bronze officer's version, second is the 2 part corporal's badge and the third one is a representation of the 1 piece private's badge. I have also posted a fourth badge which I have not been able to verify yet but thought I would show just so you can have an idea of the variations in this small short lived unit.

Paddy
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  #13  
Old 27-10-20, 08:52 PM
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John

I wonder where I got most of the information from. My badge number 4 was picked up in 2014 I believe which is round about the time you published Personal Distinctions I believe. It was bought in a lot with other genuine army badges and it was not individually identified. I have seen a lot of the one piece ones on ebay and have never liked them but this one is of a different construction than any of the other ones I have seen. I have attached a picture of the back of the badge so you can see it is not a 1 piece strike like the ebay ones and this one has also had a brooch pin fitted at some time although now missing. This one is in my pending drawer and has been since I bought it as I can't be sure about it's authenticity.

Paddy
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  #14  
Old 28-10-20, 09:19 AM
1664 1664 is offline
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Hi Lois
Could you share his name and service number, I’ll be able to get his papers which will tell us a lot more
Thanks
John

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lois View Post
Hello all

I have a photo of my great uncle (attached) taken during WWI I believe. He is wearing a cap badge that I haven’t been able to identify. He lived in County Durham so I had assumed Durham Light Infantry or Northumberland Fusiliers but the badge doesn’t appear to match either of these. Can anyone help?

Many thanks.
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