Anglo Boer War support services

[Milmed]

Hi,
I am in the planning phase of framing a set of badges as worn by the rank and file of the Imperial support services during the Anglo Boer War.

I will be displaying a forage cap badge, pair of collar badges and a shoulder title, all on corps colours in the following order of precedence.

Royal Engineers
Army Service Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
Army Ordnance Corps
Army Pay Corps

Questions:
1. Do I have the order of precedence correct for 1899-1902 period
2. Do I have the corps colours correct for this period
3. Should I show the colours horizontally (top image) or vertically (bottom image)

[Milmed]

Here are the badges I will be framing.

Are the collars for the APC correct or should I be using the QVC style as seen on the forage cap badge?

Any comments appreciated...

[mojob123]

Hi Milmed. Sorry no one else has replied to your query before now - I've only just seen it myself. Re your Ordnance Corps set, I'm pretty sure the collars you have came into use in 1907 when the large cap badge was replaced by the smaller one. The collars you should have are the same as the later cap badge with 'Army Ordnance Corps' scroll, but lugged and left and right facing. If that's incorrect, hopefully someone with more knowledge will comment. I'm sure I read that the right facing ones are extremely rare ('hen's teeth' I think was the phrase used) but I can't find the thread on here - maybe I read it somewhere else. The only right facing one I have is the cobbled together one on the left - probably for a display, and probably cobbled together for that very reason. Best regards, Mike.

[Milmed]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for your reply. I did see mention of the original facing collars having the scroll, but as you say, hens teeth. I also saw mention somewhere that the collars without scroll were adopted earlier and I have seen evidence of this in photographs taken at the turn of the century. So, because there is a bit of confusion as to the actual collars worn c. Boer War, I will display what I have.

Regards
Steven

[mojob123]

Hi Steven. Glad you've sorted that out. Would be interested to see any links to turn of the century photos. I'm sorting through my AOC badges with the expectation of displaying some at some time and, like you, would like to get them right. Best regards, Mike

[Fatboy Ken]

Hiya Steven,

Your order of precedence is correct, R.E. 1st & so on.

I have a very rare image for you to look at which shows an ASC soldier in Aldershot, taken in 1899 - 1900, prior to being moved out to South Africa.

I will let the image speak for us all, but i believe this to be a navy blue square patch, with no white stripe which is worn behind the QVC ASC badge, with collar badges shown in great detail.

Regards

Ken (The Fatboy)

Vic ASC FS Helmet.jpg