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WW2 Rank Backing Colours
Gentlemen,
Can anyone help me out here please? I'm trying to establish when officers wore the colour backing behind their rank badges (pips and crowns) on Battledress. ACI 1118 of 1940 lists the colours to be worn, and later amendments like the Recce Corps green (ACI 420 of 1941) etc, were also made. I can't find the RADC (green) as yet though! Some examples: RAC - yellow. RA - red. RE - blue. R. Sigs - blue. Infantry - scarlet. RASC - yellow. Air Defence Corps - green. RAPC - yellow. Int Corps- green. My question is: when did officers wear these colours behind their rank badges? What I mean is, were the standard khaki type the default working dress / battle order type and were the coloured backings worn at HQ level, on best order / parade ground dress, etc, or, as has been suggested...vice versa for battlefield identification? Help? Ken Last edited by Glosters Cloth; 25-11-19 at 11:31 AM. |
#2
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Hello! Is your question related to British Army rank badges or South African Army? As South African Army is concerned, I have got in my collection a Leather Jerkin that has been provided with a cloth collar and rank epaulettes: the rank pips have got a red backing, so I guess backing were used in combat order, whereas brass or bronze pips for the parade ground, walking out BD and so on.
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#3
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Many thanks for that Loupie1961.
British in the main, but the info you provide does help. Thank you. I've looked at quite a good sample of period (WWII) images now, and it does look like the 'unofficial' rule might have been that their was no rule! Maybe local level commanders decided what was and wasn't worn, and when? Unless someone knows differently...? |
#4
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#5
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I'm beginning to think the general rule was that their was no rule. Maybe it was down to local level commanders to decide?
I've posted under a different topic (!) now, and if anything concrete comes in I will let you know. Very best wishes and happy hunting. Ken |
#6
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Here are a couple of threads from the past with similar questions and clues.
Rob https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...hlight=colours https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...highlight=pips |
#7
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Rob,
Super. Thank you. Ken |
#8
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Any idea who wore these please?
One pair is possibly Royal Artillery, if they are a faded red. The others appear to be purple and are not on the list that appears earlier in the post. RAC - yellow. RA - red. RE - blue. R. Sigs - blue. Infantry - scarlet. RASC - yellow. Air Defence Corps - green. RAPC - yellow. Int Corps- green. |
#9
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Paul |
#10
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Paul,
many thanks for the information. R.A.M.C. is obvious now that you have told me and Dull Cherry makes perfect sense in the same way that a white horse is called a Grey. As for Breech Brown it is more a rust red to my eyes. Who comes up with the names for these shades? Seriously though, is there a full list of the various backing colours any where? Simon. |
#11
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The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existed until 1 February 1949, when it was merged into the Women's Royal Army Corps. (WRAC) |
#12
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It would have been Army Dental Corps (ADC) in 1940 with the colour of Green
There were a number of similarities in colours A full list of colours was set out in ACI 1118 dated 18th September 1940: Staff – Red RAC – Yellow RA – Red RE – Blue R Signals – Blue Infantry (Except Rifles) – Scarlet Infantry (Rifles) – Rifle Green Reconnaissance Corps – Green RAChD – Black (later Purple) RASC – Yellow RAMC – Dull Cherry RAOC – Dark Blue CMP – Red RAPC – Yellow AEC – Cambridge Blue ADC – Green AMPC – Red Intelligence Corps – Green APTC – Black General List – Scarlet |
#13
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Some examples, there are many variations in size and colour shades.
Tim
__________________
"Manui dat cognitio vires - Knowledge gives strength to the arm" "Better to know it but not need it than to need it and not know it!" "Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest." |
#14
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Paul |
#15
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Thank you all for your input into answering my question. The photographs were particularly helpful.
I am always puzzled by the Army's use of the word blue. The Royal Signals Blue is a very rich dark blue, almost black. |
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