4 CLY Sharpshooters - That cap badge.

[rac1944]

Thanks Keith. That’s a stunning couple of badges!
John

[PeterA]

To add a little more to this. Here a 'pressed' 4 CLY Collar badge with the small pressed '4' along side a similar item with what is obviously the personal addition of a thin sheet white metal '4'. The reverse reveals that the white metal '4' was brazed over an original pressed '4'. This suggests to me a conversion in theatre to use as a cap/beret badge.

[PeterA]

I smiled when I saw post #58 of ‘rac1944’, particularly badge (B) which he claimed was under size. For a badge to be that smooth it would have had to be artificially burnished by mechanical means. As an established Trooper with 3-4 CLY back in 1959 and serving an engineering apprenticeship I well remember filing the relief of my cap badge substantially down before burnishing with the buffing wheel…and the brighter it looked for it. Sadly, my badge had to be handed in with the merger with the Kent Yeomanry in 1961. Other personalisation was to have my local tailor shorten my battle dress top to give a close fitting front and to box pleat the rear together with slightly tapering the trousers. As Armoured Corps, battle dress was rarely worn save for guard parades at camp and the smartest soldier on parade was always excused guard duty…it paid off.
For the ‘rac1944’ badge to be under-size would be expected if a cast CLY badge was used as the pattern. All patterns used in casting metal are made slightly over-size to allow for shrinkage.
So we have my badge below and the burnished badge of ‘rac1944’ of identical manufacture utilising the large stylised 4 from a collar badge. To me this sounds more like ‘in theatre’ manufacture rather than purposeful faking, particularly knowing of the dearth of full size 4 CLY cap badges at the time.