Australian Army Cadets

[Badger44]

The scan shows two colourways of what I believe to be the general Australian Army Cadet patch (as opposed to the State patches).
Can anyone tell me what the significance of the two different colours is, please?
Also, if this is a general patch and not a state one, who actually wears it?
I look forward to any comments.

[slick_mick]

Different patches for different uniforms at a guess.

The blue one is the standard one cadets where on DPCU. Possibly an older patch now superceded by the state versions (need to confirm however).

Not sure on what uniform the white one is worn? Cadet badges perhaps?

Mick

[Donny B.]

It seems the white one is for cadet mess dress uniform.....http://www.colourpatch.com.au/index....roducts_id=670

The Digger History site http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-.../oz-cadets.htm claims the blue badge to be worn on the left shoulder only, thus breaking with the tradition of the torch of learning facing forward.

[Badger44]

Many thanks for your input, gentlemen.
I assume cadets don't have mess dress, so I further assume the white version would have been worn only by Officers and Adult Instructors. Can anyone confirm that, please?
If they are versions worn prior to the State badges, does anyone know the years when they were worn please? Did they supersede the larger square version of the torch and sword badge on a blue square? If so, when?
Any further comments or suggestions would be welcome.

[Donny B.]

Originally Posted by Badger44

If they are versions worn prior to the State badges, does anyone know the years when they were worn please? Did they supersede the larger square version of the torch and sword badge on a blue square? If so, when?
Any further comments or suggestions would be welcome.

You apparently did not read that Digger History site through. If you scroll down to the illustrations of the two versions of the square badges that you refer to above (and those badges oppose for wear on both shoulders) we are told that they became obsolete when the Australian Army Cadet Corps became the Australian Army Cadets. The caption then says "The current version is shown below". Scrolling to the badge "shown below" we see, though a somewhat paler blue, it is the same badge that you show in your first post.

If we read the caption alongside that badge "shown below" we are told "In 2001 the name of the corps was changed to Australian Army Cadets and a new badge was adopted (See Left)". If we "see left" we see, once again the, though a somewhat paler blue, badge that you showed in your first post.

I do understand that there are errors in the Digger History site and that it is not infallible, but, unless you have better information and believe that the site is wrong in this instance, doesn't that answer your question about when the Australian Army Cadets patch was worn?...... from 2001 'til at least when that Digger History site was set up, and probably still.

As for the state patches, you might like to look at this site, though you do have to scroll through it a bit en.wikipedia.org/Australian_Army_Cadets#Insignia, They do contradict Digger History's claim that the Australian Army Cadets badge is only worn on the left shoulder. They say that it is worn on both shoulders. However, if you scroll down the page they show a photo of the right shoulder of a cadet corporal. The badge he is wearing there looks to be very like the Victorian state cadet badge.Perhaps, and this is only a suggestion, they now wear both badges....one on each shoulder. Though I must admit that there are pictures of opposing Australian Army Cadet badges just to confuse the issue.
Someone will surely clarify that.

As for cadet mess dress; I know nothing about that. I only passed on a site that seemed to explain where the white badge was worn as per your initial question.

[Donny B.]

In re reading that Wikipedia site under "Insignia" perhaps it is an either or situation. They wear either the Australian Army Cadet badge or the state badge.