Embroidered cap badges

[servicepub]

This example belongs to the FGH Museum;

[Michael Reintjes]

.........1st Hussars on FSC...

[Doug N]

.........& a couple more.

[GregN]

I've heard collectors say that some officers of armoured regiments liked embroidered badges as thay didn't snag on all the machinery inside the tank. Any tankers can comment on this thought.

Likewise, airborne officers liked the embroidered badges for the same reason. I have a embroidered QOR, with a maroon backing which mimics the officers badge of the Canadian Airborne Regiment officers badge.

I guess both reasons may have a shred of truth.

Greg

[cbuehler]

Originally Posted by GregN

I've heard collectors say that some officers of armoured regiments liked embroidered badges as thay didn't snag on all the machinery inside the tank. Any zipper heads to comment on this thought.

Likewise, airborne officers liked the embroidered badges for the same reason. I have a embroidered QOR, with a maroon backing which mimics the officers badge of the Canadian Airborne Regiment officers badge.

I guess both reasons may have a shred of truth.

Greg

Have heard similar stories over the years as well, but have never been able to get proof of this. I tend to think it is more of an old wives tale, and the real reason is that some just preferred emboidered badges. Besides, I dont think the idea of avoiding snags really holds up. If one of these thick wire jobs caught on something, it would likely damage the badge beyond repair.
Expensive to say the least.

CB

[GregN]

I wonder as well CB it they are old wives tales but I think the concern re metal badges was that the lugs might get driven into the foreheads of the soldiers.

I've seen plenty of war-time pictures of Armoured guys wearing berets with metal badges, so the fashion was just that a fashion of officers or the CO of the regiment.

Greg

[badgecollector]

hi guys
here are some british items
BC

[Doug N]

And a couple more.

[Wyn vdSchee]

Originally Posted by GregN

I've heard collectors say that some officers of armoured regiments liked embroidered badges as they didn't snag on all the machinery inside the tank. Any zipper heads to comment on this thought.
Greg

If I hear the term "zipperhead" applied again to armored corps soldiers in general, it will be a thousand times too often. The term applies only to members of LdSH(RC) and was only coined in 1965. Other armoured soldiers are not, repeat NOT, zipperheads. The story of how the name was acquired will have to wait for another time.
As a retired zipperhead, I will comment on the joys of having a lugged badge on the beret. When looking through a persiscope - and this applied to all members of the crew (driver, co-driver, gunner, loader/operator and crew commander) - as the tank was moving cross country, one would often bang one's head on the optical device and drive the lugs into the forehead. Very painful experience and very difficult to conceptualize for people with no tank time - e.g. our Mr Nehring. Most of the crew either removed berets or pushed them to the back of the head to prevent forehead punctures. Officers were more likely to wear embroidered badges because they were more visible outside the turrets of tanks, and thus needed to be seen as being more "pukkha" and because they were authorized to do so, while ORs were not.
That said, I wore an embroidered FGH badge while a member of that regiment, but I have never seen an embroidered LdSH(RC) badge. I also have in my collection an embroidered badge of The Calgary Regiment (Tank).
Wyn

[Phillip Herring]

I have a Royal Canadian Corps of Signals embroidered capbadge.
I spoke to two veterans who served as Battalion Signals officers in Korea to get the story.
The badges were privately made in Japan and worn on the beret by battalion signals officers in Korea. A picture appeared in THE MAPLE LEAF showing one of the veterans wearing this badge.
I will post an image later.

[GregN]

Here is a Royal Hamilton Light Infantry officers badge. My dad wore this in the 70s.

Cheers,

Greg

[John Cameron]

QC Collars from a RCAChC Brigadier's mess dress. Chaplain's collars were embroidered in silver wire rather than the usual gold wire Brigadier and Colonel collars.

[John Cameron]

QC C Pro C mess dress collars.

Mess dress collars in wear. Note the blue scroll variation.

Embroidered KC C Pro C cap badge on a Field Officer's SD Cap.
Worn by Maj. Quirk early 1950s.

[Bill A]

John, Clarification please. The Chaplain's Corps used silver on the bullion badges instead of gold bullion? That was a Chaplain Corps dress distinction?

[John Cameron]

Bill, the illustrated collars were taken off a RCAChC Colonel's mess dress. They struck me as odd, as the only collars like that I had previously seen were in gold. I checked my copy of the 1953 Dress Regs and under the listing for ChC Brigadiers And Colonels the text was Royal Crest 1 1/4" by 3/4" in silver. It is difficult to make out as it's a photocopy and there are layers of ammendments. The same section lists the cap badge as being the Royal Crest in gold embroidery on a black backing for Chaplains, all others were gold emboidery on dark blue. But all the ones I've ever had were on black. Later ammendments maybe? Maybe a Chaplain expert can confirm, I only live for meathead stuff.