Evening all!

[Tigerlily]

Just wanted to say hi, have been hanging around a little while absorbing as much info as possible, but thought it time to take the plunge.

I have been interested in the Great War for about 15 years, but have recently become more fascinated by badges and insignia, and have gone over to the dark side and started picking up a few pieces.

Mainly interested in cap badges and sweetheart brooches, and to start with want to get those regiments that are of personal significance(Middlesex, East Surrey's, Cameronian's, Blackwatch, Rifle Brigade and Sherwood Foresters)

Beyond WW1 I am mainly interested in the Parachute Regiment.

Outside of collecting I am into studying the Great War, WW2 aviation and art, and can often be found hanging around the Great War forum!

Looking forward to chatting with you all

Allison

[Roy]

Hello Allison,

A heartfelt 'welcome' to the forum.

Looking forward to seeing you collection grow.

Cheers, Roy.

[Drummajor]

Hello Allison, welcome to the forum. For your enjoyment my small collection of Cameronians and Black Watch sweetheart badges, some gold and some silver and including an 18ct gold signet ring to the 42nd Black Watch Regiment.
Phil.

[Roy]

Hello Phil,

Thank you for sharing your wonderful collection, some beautiful badges you have there, well done and a credit to you.

Here is my modest collection of the Black Watch pattern of badge.

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...p?albumid=2564

Cheers, Roy.

[Drummajor]

Hello Roy, you have a nice collection of badges there thanks for showing them. This was my collection of Black Watch shaped badges, I have since sold the collection to concentrate on collecting Signal Corps badges.

Phil.

[Roy]

Wonderful Phil,

Pity these have all gone but sometimes we move onto other things. Pleased to see these thought. Really lovely.

Cheers, Roy.

[Tigerlily]

Fabulous collections, thank you for sharing, I'm terribly jealous

Royal Signals will be one of my interests for the future, I have a Great Uncle who was killed near Tobruk in the Western Desert Campaign.

Allison

[2747andy]

Allison,
Welcome and nice to see some ladies enjoying the hobby(addiction)!

Andy

[gb64]

Hello Allison,
Welcome to the Forum, plenty of help here, i notice Middlesex Regt & Rifle Brigade are part of your interest ,two of my main collecting areas also, what's behind your interest in these two Regt's.

Gerard

[grenadierguardsman]

Welcome to the Forum.
Andy

[Tigerlily]

Hi Andy
I bought my first ebay badge from you yesterday! was terribly nervous of making an online purchase as I don't want to get ripped off, but I followed you on here so knew I was in safe hands( stalker alert) I know its relatively unusual still to have a girly interested in militaria or military history(though there are more around than ever I'm glad to notice), there are people still people picking their jaws up off their floor on the Great War Forum(marriage proposals have been received! ) I will shock you further by telling you I hate shopping, don't give a stuff about handbags or shoes, my favourite movie is the Battle of Britain, and ideal way to spend an evening would be curled up watching that or reading anything by Peter Barton or Richard Van Emden. Ideal day out IWM Duxford, or RAF Hendon. Spitfire's *sighs*

Hi Gerard
My Granddad was with the 4th Middlesex at the start of the Great War when he was 15, he also served with the Scottish Rifles and East Surreys, then Blackwatch inter wars and RA in WW2, I am of course still interested in all of those but have spent a lot of time reading the 4th Middlesex war diaries from start to finish even after Granddad was transferred to another regiment, I just couldn't put it down and although the 4th Middlesex diaries contain some of the worst handwriting I have ever encountered(other then a RAMC Officers diary-Bloomin' doctors handwriting!)
I have a special fondness for them(e.g February 1915 "Germans bailing out their trench, volley fired, there was no more immediate bailing of the trench" Christmas Eve 1915 "Germans calling out from their trench that they only want peace, we fired off a rally, they didn't call out after that" I guess the warnings after the 1914 ceasefire were heeded!) and have made them my pet battalion so to speak!
As for the Rifle Brigade I have a Gt, Gt Uncle who was in 10th Battalion, was killed at Canal Bank in 1917 and is buried at Bard Cottage Cemetery near Boezinghe. I have kind of "adopted" him and make sure he is remembered, just started with the Rifle Brigade war diaries this week.
My granddad had a massive family their are literally dozens of cousins, same on my maternal side of the family and my aim is to research as fully as I can all those who fought in the Great War and have period badges for each one.
Of course that's the sensible me, and we all know what will happen is I will just want one of everything and I will end up penniless!
Apologies for the long post
Allison

[2747andy]

Originally Posted by Tigerlily

Hi Andy
I bought my first ebay badge from you yesterday! was terribly nervous of making an online purchase as I don't want to get ripped off, but I followed you on here so knew I was in safe hands( stalker alert)
Allison

Allison,
Thank you, I did not realise it was you, but hope you're pleased with your badge when it arrives, which is soon I hope!

Stalk away, beats all these blokes scanning my pages! lol

Andy

[Tigerlily]

Andy
I await the postman with baited breath. Of course if it doesn't arrive today, normal breathing will be resumed.
I nearly bought the Robin Hoods badge and your Rifle Brigade badge as well but I managed to contain myself. For now
Allison

[2747andy]

Allison,
that's the addiction starting to kick in! lol

Andy

[tynesideirish]

Hi Allison, another warm welcome to the forum. 'Knowledge dispels fear' is the motto of No.1 Parachute Training School, it is a true statement. Heeding it will also save you heartache and cash. There are some great Ebay private sellers and dealers and there are tons of rougues out to rip you off. If you need any help on how to ID a genuine badge do a search for that badge on the forum I'm sure it'll be on here and will point out what to look for. The price of a badge is no guarantee of it being genuine. Hope I haven't been too negative, but I'd have saved a fortune if this site had been around when I started. Happy and safe collecting.
(another) Mike