Grenadier Guards - "J.R. Gaunt Montreal".

[2747andy]

Gentlemen,
your thoughts on this one please?

Is it;

a. A badge made in Canada for the Canadian Grenadier Guards.

b. A badge made in Canada for use by the British Grenadier Guards.

c. Possibly both.

Could anyone please add the possible period of use/rough date of manufacture?

[manchesters]

Andy,

a. A badge made in Canada for the Canadian Grenadier Guards.

Date- WW1 ish, IMHO.

regards

[Bill A]

Simon has it. The Gaunt concern in Montreal made badges for the Canadian market. There is nothing in the record to suggest the badges went to the UK.
Dating is a bit more of an issue. The Canadian Grenadier Guards plain grenade badge, without the royal cypher, is not recorded in the standard references but other sources indicate it was worn by the CGG. It was worn around the time of the First World War, but the CEF battalion supposedly only wore a cypher pattern badge. (This has been challenged and research has suggested tha the plain grenade pattern was worn as well.) It has been suggested that the badge was worn post FWW as well. A similar badge (if not the same pattern as this one) was also worn by the 10th Royal Grenadiers of Toronto, and a plain flaming grenade badge was also worn by the 11th Regiment (Irish Fusiliers). The latter is supposed to be a bit larger in overall size.

[KLR]

There is a small amount of papers concerning the Canadian operation amongst the Gaunt archives in Birmingham Reference Library. Apart from their existence I did not make any detailed notes but remember that most of it concerned the business side.

[manchesters]

In my Canadian Artillery badges only the pre - 1926 badges have the Gaunt, Montreal plate, if that assists in dating.

regards

[whizzbang]

A non-cyphered grenade badge was worn by the CEF 245th Bn in which the lower flames went slightly upwards from horizontal. See: http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/can...e/cef_e245.htm

Andy's badge is not that one. The 87th CEF had a similar pattern with a cypher, as Bill notes, as well as one with "pointier" flames: http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/can...ce/cef_e87.htm

Could the one Andy is showing be a 1920's Winnipeg Grenadiers badge?

Cheers, Ian.

[Warstone]

Originally Posted by Bill A

Simon has it. The Gaunt concern in Montreal made badges for the Canadian market. There is nothing in the record to suggest the badges went to the UK.

Out of interest, what makes you think Gaunt Montreal badges were made in Canada and even more of interest, if so, where?

[altcar73]

Originally Posted by Warstone

Out of interest, what makes you think Gaunt Montreal badges were made in Canada and even more of interest, if so, where?

The information I have is that Gaunt (Montreal) badges were made (at least at some stage) in Birmingham (UK) and exported to Canada. I say that because several years ago when the Gaunt archive was auctioned here in the UK, three or four Canadian Police badges came my way which were tableted Gaunt (Montreal) Made in England. Gaunt also had offices in other parts of the world. New York was one location. I believe that the staff there were simply tasked with selling products. The actual items being made in the UK and then exported. I'm firmly convinced that the Canadian police items in question have never seen the light of day in Canada and I suspect that must be the case in respect of a number of Gaunt made Canadian military items which are in the UK.

Dave.

[Marcus H]

Here's another example with such a plate to the Scottish Horse: http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...light=Montreal

Best,

Marcus