Royal Canadian Regiment Officers Side Cap

[GregN]

Hi guys, up for show and tell is my latest buy, a officers side-cap to the Royal Canadian Regiment. This cap is in wonderful condition. The badge is a 3-piece badge, the star is marked S S (sterling silver?). The buttons are fire gilt with separately applied crowns and cyphers.

I initially thought this was the NCOs version but a quick look at the side cap page on the Service Publications webpage confirmed that this is the officers cap.

Enjoy,

Greg

[Adam H]

What a beauty!

I know someone that would be very keen to own this as well.

It's my understanding that a "S" on the reverse of the badge does indeed denote Sterling silver. I have a Black Watch officer's badge stamped "P" in a similar fashion, denoting silver plate.

Lovely to see that cap, Greg. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Adam

[GregN]

Thanks Adam. You shoiuld post some of your RHC stuff. I have a variety of stuff to the 5th RHC biut would like to see some more advanced material.

Cheers,

Greg

[Adam H]

Greg,

Am trying to get some photos at this very moment. However, trying to juggle a 3 month old, a camera and these badges isn't working out so well! I think I'd be better to shoot them in natural light, too. Oh well!

I don't know how much "advanced" stuff I have as I have been more of a medal collector over the years...in fact I foolishly traded away quite a number of my better badges a few years ago (still kicking myself). Only in the past year or two have I actively started picking up badges again. However, happy to show my little horde for the forum!

[Bill A]

Nice wedge cap Greg. Interesting that the badge is the VRI crown. (Mazeas shows the 36 to 53 pattern RCR badge as the Guelphic crown pattern. That isn't the correct WW2 pattern issued to the RCR either, whether officer's or or's.)

[GregN]

Hi Bill, we have to wait for the Regimental Rogue to wade in on the issue of correct crowns and cyphers when discussing the RCR. There seemed to be an ongoing battle as to with which crown and cypher was "official" and when. In this case Mazeas is partially wrong as to what was worn and when.

Cheers,

Greg

[Bill A]

Greg, maybe there should be a string on the RCR cap badge. It has to be one of the most difficult to pin down as to varieties and time periods used.

[Bantam]

Originally Posted by GregN

Hi guys, up for show and tell is my latest buy, a officers side-cap to the Royal Canadian Regiment. This cap is in wonderful condition. The badge is a 3-piece badge, the star is marked S S (sterling silver?). The buttons are fire gilt with separately applied crowns and cyphers.

I initially thought this was the NCOs version but a quick look at the side cap page on the Service Publications webpage confirmed that this is the officers cap.

Enjoy,

Greg

Hi Greg,
Not my collecting field I'm afraid but I am interested in knowing what period that this particular cap was worn please?
Regards
Bantam

[regimentalrogue]

As noted, the dating of cap badges and headdress for The RCR can be notoriously frustrating. The combination of standard items in use for decades, the possibility of use after the time of subsequent issues, and a scarcity of available records all contribute to this confusion.

With regard to the issue at hand:

The Guelphic crown badges came into use in 1894, and were worn within the Regiment until 1926-7.

From 1901 to 1919, the officially recognized badges (i.e., by the Militia Department following issued instruction and tradition regarding the change of reigning sovereigns’ cypher) were the EviiR and GvR Tudor crown “King’s” badges. These, however, were not popular with the Regiment and a long campaign ensued to restore use of the “VRI”, all the while the “VRI” was being worn when available. Notably, however, demand exceeded availability of regimental “VRI” badges during the Great War and the “GvR” pattern badges were the ones that the official supply system was producing.

The regimental decision to fight for the privilege of wearing the “VRI” cypher was likely not an immediate decision, and some officers apparently had time to see their family jewellers to have gilt versions of the EviiR badge produced. While some of these exist, I know of no gilt officers versions of the GvR badge.

In 1919, His Majesty King George V authorized the Regiment to return to wearing the “VRI” cypher on cap badges and buttons.

After that decision in 1919, the Regimen continued to work at correctly the heraldically improper Guelphic crown to a more proper Britannic one. In 1926 authority was received to change the badge, and two new designed came into use. These were the square-topped St Edward’s crown and the more rounded style of the Imperial Crown pattern badges.

Both of these pattern have been in use since the 1920s. For a period in the 1970s-90s, there was no Supply System or regimentally produced edition of the St Edward’s crown badges. In the 1990s, the Regiment returned to the St Edward’s crown in it’s latest series of badges, and there is currently no Supply System or regimentally produced edition of the Imperial crown badges.


So, following that rough primer on badges of The RCR, I’ll weigh in on the badge in question and, in my own opinion, date it at either late 1920s or 1930s. The reasons I state this are:

- it cannot have been produced before the new badges were authorized in 1926, the buttons also are later issues, an older cap might still have had the Guelphic crown buttons

- I have seen no reference to the use of gilt badges after the Second World War, and considering that the regimental persona runs to a lack of ostentatiousness, it is unlikely an officer would have had a gilt version produced after the 1930s if they were no longer in common use (though not impossible and not exactly provable)


For more than you might ever want to know about the badges of The RCR, see my pages here - http://regimentalrogue.com/rcrbadges...dges_intro.htm

[GregN]

Thanks Michael, I knew you could explain it all much more suscitley (sp) that I I have some other mystery RCR badges which defy indentifcation. Stay tuned,

Cheers,

Greg

[Bantam]

Hi Regimentalrogue,
Thank you for your comprehensive reply to my question.I had noticed that the buttons did not appear contemporary with the Victorian Badge.The overall picture is much clearer now.Thanks again.
Regards,
Bantam

[boots and saddles]

Originally Posted by GregN

Hi guys, up for show and tell is my latest buy, a officers side-cap to the Royal Canadian Regiment. This cap is in wonderful condition. The badge is a 3-piece badge, the star is marked S S (sterling silver?). The buttons are fire gilt with separately applied crowns and cyphers.

I initially thought this was the NCOs version but a quick look at the side cap page on the Service Publications webpage confirmed that this is the officers cap.

Enjoy,

Greg

Hi Greg
Do you have the web address for the service publication on these caps? Ray

[Bill A]

Hey Ray, Here is the link for Service Publications. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and there is link to the reference pages for the caps.

[servicepub]

You can also access the Coloured Field Service Caps page at Service Publications at Coloured Field Service Caps

This is an ongoing research project of Jim Boulton and I. My RCR CFSC belonged to Maj (A/LCol) H.T. Cock who is well written up in the RCR history as a vocal proponent for the continuing use of the Victorian crown by The RCR.

I am always looking for CFSCs for my collection as well as photos of CFSCs for this web-site.