Colour patches at Gallipoli

[kingsley]

Does anyone have photos or documentation clearly showing colour patches being worn at Gallipoli? The recent Channel 9 series showed them, but all the photos I have seen show Australian soldiers (with very few actually wearing tunics) with none.
I know they were approved in about Nov 1914 to replace the former metal titles and numbers, but I very much doubt if they were manufactured and issued in any great numbers by the time of the campaign. It was of course different by the time the AIF got to France.
The earlier small sized metal titles are an interesting and little known group of badges. It is probably impossible to produce a definitive list because of all the unofficials.

[slick_mick]

I was under the impression colour patches were worn only after Gallipoli?

Maybe Keith can confirm this?

Mick

[kingsley]

So we are right and Channel 9 is wrong. Strange that they did not do their homework.
It reminds me of the 'Breaker Morant' movie a few years ago when the defence counsel (played by Jack Thompson) is shown wearing a fantasy çat's head badge based on the NSWMR button.

[slick_mick]

Looks like colour patches were worn.

Check out the latest Army news.

http://armynews.realviewdigital.com/#folio=34

The soldier next to CAPT Moreshead in the picture in the Gallipoli section at back appears to have a colour patch on his uniform.

Mick

[fairlie63]

Hi all,

Colour patches were approved in March 1915 and were worn at Gallipoli, see Vol XII, Plate 63, of the Official History which shows D Coy 1 Bn calling the roll on 30 April 1915 in which most members present are wearing colour patches. There are also other photos such as Mick has pointed out.

Reason we don't see a great deal of them at Gallipoli is because of the nature of uniform adopted by the troops during that campaign - patches were only worn on the jacket and most blokes appear not to have worn that item much.

Metal titles weren't abolished in the Middle East until late 1915 and in Aust until early 1916, they appear to have been still issued, or at least available, in Australia in 1916 as I have a photo of a member of 9 FA Bde wearing 9/FA in early 1917 in France.

War diaries might even note when they were issued, I haven't looked at the inf bn ones yet.

Cheers,
Keith

[Mike Jackson]

There is a famous AWM photograph of WO1 (RSM) Melville, 1st Bn AIF at Gallipoli in Aug 15 wearing his colour patch with metal title and identification (?) bands on arm and around cap.
(Australians at war 1885 - 1972, p 36). Mike

[badgecollector]

Lt/Capt Harold Craig 22 btn in the trenches at Gallipoli
bc

[fromelles]

The Channel 9 series was only half right, whereas colour patches were authorised in March 1915, the light horse didn't take up wearing them till March 1916. So, the scenes of light horsemen wearing them are wrong.

The use of the metal titles persisted for the duration of the war even though their use was officially withdrawn in November 1915, I have numerous photos of soldiers wearing the metal titles, together with colour patches, well into 1918/19.

Dan

[kingsley]

I have just finished putting some first AIF metal titles on a board with a selection of numbers of the correct size. I have a few others not shown, including ENGRS (smaller size), SIGCO, SIGTR, maybe a couple more.
I am not sure about a few odd ones and would be interested in any comments:
PNRS (larger size), RT, RS, DAP (worn by Australians??), AAMT
Also a pair of LH titles in WM and another oxid pair slightly larger in size.

[militiaman]

Hi Kingsley

I don't know of any comprehensive list used by the AIF, only collector observations.

In WW1 there were also, AFC (large), NBT (small), LHFA.
7LH/Australia (unofficial as used for hat & shoulder title), 10 LH /Australia (as in Cossum book).

Cossum shows a picture of several example of additional but unofficial AIF titles: ALH, AIF, 5/Imperial camel Corps, LHFA, AUSTRALIA (solid cast).

Regards

Dennis

[kingsley]

Hi Dennis,
You can add CFS to the list you gave. I will try to find my official list of approved metal titles. The quality of the photocopy is not good and another generation of copies will be worse still. I will have a go and look out for you on Saturday morning!