Date for this scarce?

[kingsman64]

Chris and the rest of the A/A experts please forgive me but if you dont ask

I have never seen one constructed like this and I am not a regular handler or buyer of AA badges. It is just that of those I have handled and seen I have never seen a brass slider riveted on?

What can you tell me about it please?

"Only that it is the most common RE AA badge mate and there are 2 million of them knocking around probably"!

[jeep]

Here's three more. REME sliders marked JR Gaunt both London and B'Ham, and RE marked Gaunt London on both slider and badge.

[Charlie585]

Hi Kingsman,

I can't quote a date of manufacture for your RE badge and I haven't looked in Chris Marsh's book for it but I can tell you that I was issued one with a riveted slider in the late 80s.
It didn't last long as the rivet being of softer metal than the slider they soon parted company, in fact you were lucky if you managed to mount it to a beret without it breaking first time. I recall blackening mine and stitching it to my exercise beret so it did see service, even if it wasn't really fit for it!

Regards

Ry

[kingsman64]

Thanks guys having not seen one before wanted to make sure I didn't have a rarity!

[Charlie585]

I suppose its rarity could be gauged by how many have survived intact, still not really of any great value, yet!

Ry

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by kingsman64

Chris and the rest of the A/A experts please forgive me but if you dont ask

I have never seen one constructed like this and I am not a regular handler or buyer of AA badges. It is just that of those I have handled and seen I have never seen a brass slider riveted on?

What can you tell me about it please?

"Only that it is the most common RE AA badge mate and there are 2 million of them knocking around probably"!

Hi Kingsman,

I consider the non A/A slider badge to be well worth looking out for. So far we (Colin Mathews needs to be given the real quodos here) have discovered 26 non anodised aluminium slidered cap badges covering three manufacturing companies. The sliders are usually brass but there is also a silver coloured slider which is probably nickle. At least one pattern card that I have handled has the 'nickel' slider.

A lot more info on them can be found on pages 79 and 80 in the book in Chapter 7: Vertical Shanks. There is a section titled Non-Anodised Aluminium Sliders dedicated to them. Also to be included in the list given is AAD49 – The Northamptonshire Regiment by Turner & SImpson. An example of this was only found after the book was written.

Regarding dates of manufacture - I would say that they are some of the first A/A cap badges manufactured during the early/mid 1950's but each unit badge needs to be considered re: date of authorisation where known. An initial problem for the manufacturers was attaching aluminium lugs/slider to the aluminium badge body by soldering/welding etc. Before this problem was overcome (See section 6. SOLDER V.HOOK in Chapter 11: The Manufacturing Process) the makers used non A/A materials.

If you have a choice of badges always go for the non A/A slider version. Excuse unashamed self plug but I have an example of AAF20 – Royal Army Ordnance Corps by Turner and Simpson on my web site at:

http://www.aacapbadges.com/forsale.html

Granted that the very top part of the crown is missing but for 5GBP I'm very surprised it is still there.

Regards

Chris

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by jeep

Here's three more. REME sliders marked JR Gaunt both London and B'Ham, and RE marked Gaunt London on both slider and badge.

Hi Jeep,

The B'HAM marked one is quite interesting as the earliest date that I have found for this maker mark is 1966.

Regards

Chris

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Charlie585

Hi Kingsman,

I can't quote a date of manufacture for your RE badge and I haven't looked in Chris Marsh's book for it but I can tell you that I was issued one with a riveted slider in the late 80s.
It didn't last long as the rivet being of softer metal than the slider they soon parted company, in fact you were lucky if you managed to mount it to a beret without it breaking first time. I recall blackening mine and stitching it to my exercise beret so it did see service, even if it wasn't really fit for it!

Regards

Ry

Hi Ry,

There are no rivets used in any A/A cap badges. This is a total myth easily blown out of the water if one takes such a badge apart. Again, see the section Non-Anodised Aluminum Sliders on page 79. Also pages 95, 100, 101 of Chapter 10: Other Badge Components.

Granted that the word 'rivet' was used in official documentation written up by military chappies who were not the manufacturers - see the entry for East Anglian Brigade on page 439 of Appendix 1 - List of Changes and others.

Regards

Chris