London Irish

[John Mulcahy]

I have being trying to determine if the attached badge is genuine (I believe it is) and if so when it was introduced and on what order of dress it is worn.

It is a QC version of the 1937 type badge, it appears to have been introduced within the last few years. any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

[irishhorse]

Hi John. Yes this is an original !. They were produced a few years ago ,(cant remember of hand which year ), but the London Irish were to wear a beret on working dress, and only wear the caubeen as a dress item. Other ranks badges were produced in metal and officers in bullion. But im not sure if they were adopted, I've been told permission has not yet been received to wear these badges. My information is a few year old , so not sure what is the current status of the badge is .

Hello,

I got my first London Irish badge today from a very well known dealer. It is a blackened brass KC badge with voided strings with a tapering long slider to the reverse. But what surprised me it is identical to the RIC forage cap badge with the exception of lugs. Did the RIC/London Irish use the same shape of design of badge?

Many Thanks,

jonny

[John Mulcahy]

Jonny

I do not believe that they shared the same badge.

The only London Irish badges that I have known with voided strings are the so called "pork pie" cap badge and the current Caubeen badge (based on the WW2 Officer's W/O's design) . I shall try to post an image later

John

Thanks John,

I dont know the badge is identical to my RIC and looking at K&K1848 it is very different to that LIR badge. Could it be for the Ulster Home Guard but I cant understand why there is a slider.

Jonny

[Alan O]

Jonny,

Is there a void under the crown? the London Irish was always solid. The Royal Irish Constabulary/ Home Guard was voided.

Alan

Alan,

yes, theres a void under the crown. The UHG used the RUC badges for their headdress - could it be some were produced with the slider? Although when the RUC began producing their own KC badges they left the void in (between the harp and crown) to cheapen the cost of production.

Jonny

[Alan O]

Thisis the post 1937 London Irish in w/m when they were a Territorial B of the RUR. The post 1908 version was identical but in Blackened Brass. The only variation that i am aware of is the WO's badge which was twice the size.

Alan

[John Mulcahy]

Jonny - some badges badges to the London Irish Rifles, they are,starting from the top left;

Pipers shoulder belt plates;

Queen Victoria Crown, note the scroll which reads 'South Africa 1900-1902'. This is a late Victorian badge, the scroll being added presumably 'late on' as versions exist of this badge without the scroll: It is die-struck silver plate.Black velvet backing.

Kings crown, again with the scroll, reads the same as the QVC above. It is die-struck silver plate. It too has a black velvet backing.

Kings Crown, die-struck silver plate with a silvered backing plate, it has screw posts to the rear. Another version has lugs fitted for caubeen wear and a hackle tube fitted to the rear of the backing plate. Seen recently on e-bay from "Hotminicooper"

Queens crown, die-struck silver plate with silvered backing plate,scroll reads ' South Africa 1900-1902'. This badge has 3 screw post fittings but it also comes with 2 lugs fitted (east and West) for wear in the caubeen, this variety has the addition of a flattened oval tube on the rear of the backing plate so that a hackle can be worn. The hackle being a 'St Patricks blue' .

Buttons (on the left)
Three sizes of the QVC button (large,medium and cap size),all are brass and they consist of a garter surround that reads 'London Irish Rifles Volunteers' , to the centre is a QVC crowned harp.

Buttons (on the right)

Three sizes of the Kings Crown button (large, medium and cap size), in black horn and they consist of a scalloped edge, crowned KC harp with a scroll below that reads 'London Irish Rifles', they also have a spray of shamrocks that radiate from the top of the centre of the scroll upwards to left and right round the harp.

Button (bottom centre)
This is a medium size Kings Crown button, brass, identical in detail to the QVC buttons on the left with the exception of the change of crown. these come in the three sizes and are in silver plate as well as brass. This is a rare button as it would only have spanned the period 1902 to 1908 when the London Irish Rifle Volunteers became the London Irish Rifles. After this they wore the black horn buttons shown above right.

Shako Plate and Warrant Officers badges. (Centre row)
Centre: A shako plate to the London Irish Rifle Volunteers in die-struck blackened brass, it has two lugs (east and west).A QVC topped Maltese cross with a QVC topped harp to the centre and a scroll which reads 'London Irish Rifle Vols'.

The Kings Crown version of this is identical, with the exception of the change of Crown at the top of the Cross and interestingly ,the centre harp and Crown remain with the QVC in place even the the Crown at the top is the KC!!
Left of centre: Kings crown ,die-cast white metal W. O. caubeen badge, this has a long slider fitted.

Right of centre: Queens crown, die-cast white metal W.O. caubeen badge, this has 2 lugs fitted (north and south) although it was originally fitted with a slider (stump still visible).

Collar badges (third row down).
A pair nor matching of blackened brass collar badges, these have 2 lugs (east and west) and both are die-cast although good die-struck ones also exist. Currently officers wear them in non-facing pairs. Beware of London Irish white metal collar badges that are really thin and die-struck, these copies are so thin you can bend them with the slightest of pressure from your fingers, you will know these they are so poorly finished!!

Pork Pie hat and other ranks cap badges

Center of row: A pork pie hat badge in die-struck white metal, it has a QVC and two lugs (north and south). Interesting to note the three strings only on the harp.
The other two cap badges are Kings crown, die-struck white metal with sliders .

The two versions illustrated hear with voided strings are the only ones that I know with any voiding.

This collection alas does not belong to me.

John

Many Thanks John for sharing that photo. Some great badges there.
Here is the photo of the badge in question. An RIC badge is on the left for comparision. Any thoughts anyone?

Jonny

[Col Blacker]

Hi all,

I recently bought an 18th London Irish cap badge on eBay - cost me a few pounds as no one bid on it.

It caught my eye becuase it had a previous owners name "D.Rilleson" stamped on the slider - presumably done by the soldier himself?

Has anyone come across this before or does anyone know any necessity
or reason to stamp you name on a badge apart from the obvious of identifying the owner?

Cheers
Sean

[Sonofacqms]

I have a Royal Irish Regt where the number is stamped on the inside of the slider, the crown and harp have broken and I had to repair it. It's spare to my collection.
I also had a heavily polished Essex Regt with "BASTARD" stamped on the slider, whether this was a term of endearment, or the wearers surname one can only guess.

[ard-ri]

Or a question of the owners parentage

[jeanpit-frenchy]

i had a INNISKILLING FUS with a name "DOYLE J" engraved on the slider .

for me it's the name of is owner during WW1

[Mike H]

Ive found a number of Ardingley CCF a/a badges have a number engraved on the rear,i dont have a clue why it has been done