Royal Berkshire Boss Badges.

[thursdaychris]

Hello Chaps, The KC Infantry Officer's cap badge collection is growing steadily, although it certainly does seem that there's still a long way to go, however, I thought that I might show all of you fine fellows how far I've got, up to now.

The latest thing exercising my few remaining brain cells are R. Berks boss badges, according to K&K there are two slightly different forage cap badges with the gilt central device (pre and post, circa, 1920) The badge that I have with a very faded scarlet-cord boss seems a bit different to either of these.

Searching reveals numerous differences with these badges, unpierced gilt circlets and R.Berks tablets, for instance, there must have been quite a few makers variations, and at the moment I'm thinking that as long as I've got a gilt device on a scarlet boss and a bronze device on a khaki boss, everything should be fine.

[Mike H]

It was my belief that the red cord boss for the dress cap had a gilt central device and the buff coloured boss for the service dress cap a bronze device with a red backing.

[cbuehler]

In my understanding, the bronze and buff boss badge was the earlier (WW1 era) badge for officer service dress, and the scarlet boss came about sometime in the inter war period for officer service dress.

CB

[thursdaychris]

Hello BC, According to K&K the scarlet-cord boss was worn on the Forage-cap before and after 1920, what did change and has confused me a little, is the gilt central device.

The Service-dress cap badge is described as for Forage-cap, but on a khaki-cord boss and with a scarlet-cloth patch behind the central device, there is actually no mention of bronze, or the two versions being worn at the same time.

[Neil s]

Don't know if this helps but these are mine the three R Berks have a Buff boss with red badge backing the earlier Berks a red boss
IMG_20221121_175018.jpgIMG_20221121_175049.jpgIMG_20221121_175121.jpgIMG_20221121_175147.jpgIMG_20221121_175216.jpg

[thursdaychris]

Aha! the waters only getting murkier, Neil, your badge #4 is I think, the first KC badge described in K&K that was worn up to circa 1920, this then changed to one similar to your badge #1 only in gilt and on a scarlet boss, it had Ps before Charlotte and R.BERKS under the Dragon.

Your badge #5, I'm thinking is, perhaps, QC (K&K 1962) rather than the QVC, which it looks like, and if so, it should really have R.BERKS under the Dragon. There does just seem to be so many variations, and taking K&K as gospel, is probably a mistake. I'm thinking now that if I can find two different gilt devices on scarlet bosses, and two different bronze ones on khaki bosses, I will have these things pretty well covered.