Upper Canada College Rifles

[mrmike]

Researching the history of this one and there are references to the QOR but I can't find an example or rough date of this particular badge. Thoughts?

Mike

[Bill A]

It is a cadet corps badge, for the private school. It is not connected with the QOR. The QOR had a similar cadet cap badge.

[peter monahan]

The history below, from the QOR museum site, suggests that the UCC cadet corps was, twice in its 160 year history officially affiliated with the Queen's Own Rifles. UCC is one of the oldest schools in 'the Canadas' [Quebec and Ontario] and remains the premier private boys school in Toronto.

Interesting that this cadet corps has the distinction of being the only Canadian cadet group actually called to active duty.

In a side note, I picked up a very similar badge several years ago, along with another 'rare' badge at a rural Ontario antique store but have always assumed that both were reproductions. As I recall, the other was the South Irish Horse, or something equally improbable and I discovered at the time that both badges have been made up/reproduced/faked. I think mine is white metal/silver but don't even klnow wher it is right now, so can't be sure.

https://qormuseum.org/2012/04/28/upp...ollege-cadets/

[Bill A]

It should be noted that the badge was copied by Bondy.

[mrmike]

Thank you Peter...it has been a tricky one for me. For comparison purposes you can rest assured that the example I've presented is an original.

Much appreciated

Mike

[Walt P]

Hello Mike,

You have a very beautiful badge. I've only seen other examples manufactured from brass. Given that yours is made from bronze or bronzed brass, I would date it from the early 1900's. I would like to know how it came into your possession. Can you provide any provenance? Cheers,

Walt

[Walt P]

Hello Mike,

You have a very beautiful badge. I've only seen other examples manufactured from brass. Given that yours is made from bronze or bronzed brass, I would date it from the early 1900's. I would like to know how it came into your possession. Can you provide any provenance? Cheers,

Walt

[peter monahan]

Originally Posted by mrmike

Thank you Peter...it has been a tricky one for me. For comparison purposes you can rest assured that the example I've presented is an original.

Mike

My comment on copies referred solely to my own [cheaply priced and improbably located] example. I don't know nearly enough about Cdn cap badges to have an opinion on authenticity. I mentioned it because, as i've been discovering over the last while, there seems to be no badge to obscure for someone to have copied! And I thought I recalled that these had been copied, but again, no reflection on yours.

I hope the information on the cadet corp was of some use.

Peter

[mrmike]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

Mike

My comment on copies referred solely to my own [cheaply priced and improbably located] example. I don't know nearly enough about Cdn cap badges to have an opinion on authenticity. I mentioned it because, as i've been discovering over the last while, there seems to be no badge to obscure for someone to have copied! And I thought I recalled that these had been copied, but again, no reflection on yours.

I hope the information on the cadet corp was of some use.

Peter

Forgive me Peter that was not what I intended from my post. I was just saying you could compare yours to mine to see if the one you have is genuine or not. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Mike

[mrmike]

Originally Posted by Walt P

Hello Mike,

You have a very beautiful badge. I've only seen other examples manufactured from brass. Given that yours is made from bronze or bronzed brass, I would date it from the early 1900's. I would like to know how it came into your possession. Can you provide any provenance? Cheers,

Walt

Thank you! The badge is part of a collection of 170 that were in 2 large "mason" jars in my Grandpa's workshop until he passed away in 1973 at which time they sat in my Aunt's closet until I received them last year. The story passed down was that he won them "playing cards in the '40s" but as I'm investigating his past I'm discovering that may only be partially true.
He enlisted in 1916 and was assigned to the 216th Toronto Bantams and was a bugler (those badges are in the collection). He was transferred to the 255th (also have some badges) but was discharged 18 months after enlisting when they discovered he was underage.
After that the trail is still unclear but I have a picture which a Forum member has identified as belonging to the Royal Regiment (1940) which I have badges for and several pictures of him in the '40s in uniform at Base Borden. I'm guessing some may have come from playing cards but I suspect some also came from trading with other Force's members he met along the way.

Mike