Badge Backings - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

hagwalther · #1 27-08-08, 08:19 AM

Hi Guys,

Can someone tell me why some badges have a backing of cloth or plastic.

Also, what is the specific relevance of the backing on the three badges below?

Regards,

Chris

Robthereiver · #2 27-08-08, 08:45 AM

Hi Chris

There are quite a number of reasons why various regiment have backing cloths. For example in the Queens Own Hussars the other ranks wore red outline backing to their collar dogs. This was said to perpertuate (unofficially) the scarlet collar of the 3rd Hussars, which was unique among British Hussar Regt's. The Scarlet collar was said to be worn in recognition of the large number of neck wounds sustained by 3rd Hussars at Dettingen.
The 'Black' backing to your RSG badge was said to be worn in memory of Czar Nicholas II who was their Colonel In Chief and who died at the hands of the Bolsheviks.

Hope this helps

Regards Rob

Peter Brydon · #3 27-08-08, 08:49 AM

Chris,
Sometimes they have a historic connection,other times the connection is not obvious.
I seem to recall a tale I think about the backing to the Staffordshire Yeomanry badge which I think was introduced by a C.O., it was later realised it was a design used on a bottles of Bass beer and the C.O. was a member of the Brewing family. I am sure I will be corrected if my memory is playing tricks.

The best reference material for badge backings is "Badge Backing and Special Embelishments of the British Army" by Tom Walls, it has a few errors but seems to be the only book devoted to the subject.

The author wrote to me in 2001 when he was planning a revised edition enclosing a Questionaire about the 5th Kings liver bird, but as far as I am aware no new edition has ever been published

P.B.

Alan O · #4 27-08-08, 09:29 AM

Chris,

The Inf backings result from one of their forebear regiment uniform facings. All of the Bns have been amalgamated at some time and usually they retained some bit of the dress of the older antecedents. For example the RGBW kept the scarlet backing of the DERR who in tune had kept it from the Berkshires. The same with the cavalry uniforms. The QRL wear a red backing on their 17/21 pattern mottos to show that they come from the 16/5th Lancers who were known as the Scarlet Lancers due to the colour of their uniforms.

The backings themselves often reflect the facing (ie lapel colours) of the old pattern C18th tunics. In the case of the LI the red backing comes from red piping on one of their predecessors Rifle green uniforms. Your QLR badge has the yellow facing of one of the Lancashire Regts from which is was made up.

It is not always uniform facings as supposedly the South staffs (later the Staffordshire Regt) wore a hessian (sackcloth) backing to reflect the time they spent in the west indies (some 40 years) when they had to patch their worn out uniforms with local cloth.

Hope this is on interest.

Alan

hagwalther · #5 27-08-08, 10:00 AM

Thanks Guys.

ALL POSTS of great interest and I may well use parts of them (if that is OK) in the work I'm doing on badge parts and accessories.

Regards

Chris

Peter Brydon · #6 27-08-08, 10:18 AM

If there is enough interest I wonder if this could become a new thread or Forum Project with members providing actual examples of badge backings.The one drawback of the " Badge Backings........." book is that only the illustrations on the cover of the book are in colour.

P.B.

hagwalther · #7 27-08-08, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

If there is enough interest I wonder if this could become a new thread or Forum Project with members providing actual examples of badge backings.The one drawback of the " Badge Backings........." book is that only the illustrations on the cover of the book are in colour.

P.B.

I think it would be a good idea to go further and I would be interested.

For my work I'm doing I just need a general background to all this to explan what backings are and a few examples.

All pretty interesting stuff !!!

Regards

Chris

Belfin · #8 16-07-09, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

If there is enough interest I wonder if this could become a new thread or Forum Project with members providing actual examples of badge backings.The one drawback of the " Badge Backings........." book is that only the illustrations on the cover of the book are in colour.

P.B.

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but there seems to be a lot of interest on the subject of backings on these forums (me included!)

As stated in this thread, would it be possible to have a forum or thead dedicated to cap badge backings?

Cheers, Paul.

Robin Hodges · #9 05-11-11, 03:36 PM

The Primrose Diamond cap badge backing worn by The Queen's Lancashire Regiment soldiers on their berets was introduced by Lt Col FFE Allen DSO, CO 1st Bn The East Lancashire Regiment, at Hamburg in 1945. Originally of cloth and then felt, the backing was later changed to plastic. The backing was not worn by officers or Warrant Officers Class 1. Primrose, known as pale yellow, was the facing colour of the 30th Foot 1702-1881. It was chosen in 1916 as the colour of the battle patches worn on both sleeves and on the helmets by 1st East Lancs for the Somme offensive. The distinctive diamond shape is traced to the 2nd Bn The East Lancashire Regiment, formed in 1881 from the 59th Foot and known because of their white facings as the 'Lilywhites'. The battalion introduced a white diamond patch worn on the sun helmets in India in 1902-03.

hagwalther · #10 05-11-11, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin Hodges

The Primrose Diamond cap badge backing worn by The Queen's Lancashire Regiment soldiers on their berets was introduced by Lt Col FFE Allen DSO, CO 1st Bn The East Lancashire Regiment, at Hamburg in 1945. Originally of cloth and then felt, the backing was later changed to plastic. The backing was not worn by officers or Warrant Officers Class 1. Primrose, known as pale yellow, was the facing colour of the 30th Foot 1702-1881. It was chosen in 1916 as the colour of the battle patches worn on both sleeves and on the helmets by 1st East Lancs for the Somme offensive. The distinctive diamond shape is traced to the 2nd Bn The East Lancashire Regiment, formed in 1881 from the 59th Foot and known because of their white facings as the 'Lilywhites'. The battalion introduced a white diamond patch worn on the sun helmets in India in 1902-03.

Great stuff Robin and welcome to the forum!

Regards

Chris

Alan O · #11 05-11-11, 06:47 PM

The plastic backing changed to a primrose foam backing and was worn with the enamel badge a couple of years before amalgamation.

johnG · #12 06-11-11, 08:24 PM

I carefully noted details of that book on badge backings, and thinking "I'll have some of that", I logged on to Amazon to find they do have a copy on offer - at £231.36, so I guess I don't get the book and am now hoping we will hear a lot more on this thread about this really interesting subject.
Regards
John

fougasse1940 · #13 07-11-11, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnG

I carefully noted details of that book on badge backings, and thinking "I'll have some of that", I logged on to Amazon to find they do have a copy on offer - at £231.36, so I guess I don't get the book and am now hoping we will hear a lot more on this thread about this really interesting subject.
Regards
John

Try AddAll.com, they have a couple of cheaper ones listed for sale.

Rgds,
Thomas.