Gurkha Signals 2 Piece cap badge - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Chris Walker · #1 23-01-09, 03:01 PM

Hi All

Looking through Hagwalther's postings of Anodised badges I notice there is such a thing as a two piece Gurkha cap badge. I was completly unaware of this badge.

Can anyone tell me when this badge may have been issued or used. Staybright, so not old.

Would dearly love to put one on my web site www.signalsbadges.co.uk

If anyone has one spare or knows where I can get hold of one I would be most grateful.

Any info on the badge would be much appreciated.
Kind regards

Chris Walker
admin@signalsbadges.co.uk

tynesideirish · #2 23-01-09, 04:08 PM

Chris, I've just scoured every pic in the book The Queen's Gurkha Signals Forty Years. No obvious detached crown in it! Could it not be just a personal Soldiers preference for a decapitated Gurka bottom with a usual loose crown, rather than a 'different' entity?

Alan O · #3 23-01-09, 07:14 PM

The modern post a/a ones (in use for some years now) are one piece.

Alan

Chris Walker · #4 24-01-09, 12:50 PM

Dear alan and tynsiderish.

Could you try looking at the following on the forum posted by hagwalther i think o 26th may 2008

go to search and call up staybrite cap badges web pages.

First page there is a listing of staybright or a/a badges.

Scroll down to the gurkha section and you will see two gurkha sigs badges. One the normal all one piece and one is the two piece.

The photo has 54bty collrection written on it.

Hope this is helpful.

Cheers

chris

tynesideirish · #5 24-01-09, 01:48 PM

Chris, I'd looked at the posting you mentioned prior to searching through the Gurkha book. I know exactly which badge you're on about.

There's not a scrap of pictorial evidence so I still think its not a issued stores badge but a doctored 1 piece.

Chris Walker · #6 24-01-09, 02:21 PM

Dear Tynesiderish.

I am delighted to hear what you say. I feel sure that over the years of collecting Signals badges I would have seen or heard of one before.

Can't really see the reason for doing such a thing though. Who would want to wear it or even be allowed if they were a serving soldier ?

The nearest thing I have to an odity that I will be putting on my little site in the near future is a Bi-Metal Gurkha Sigs badge that has got through quality control as the area between "Jimmy's" arm and the crown and the area between his leg and the Kukri is non voided. Quite a genuine badge but nice to have something just a little different to display.

Many thanks for the input

Cheers

Chris

tynesideirish · #7 24-01-09, 03:04 PM

Chris, this could have been done for umteen reasons. Granted no Gurkha would dare be incorrectly dressed under usual circumstances.(unlike us Para gunner's, at one point on rejoining 5 airborne, we all had unofficial Pegasus buckled stablebelts for wearing on courses.)

Pick a choice from any of the following:
Temporary replacement on tour or operations of a snapped badge.
A presentation piece to mirror the usual 2 piece.
A white Officers attempt to be different when they wore the bi-metal badge.
A Ebay fantasy piece.
A suppliers / makers faux pas.
...

Chris Walker · #8 24-01-09, 03:08 PM

Dear Tynesiderish

I like the white offier's theory!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ukbrits · #9 24-01-09, 05:37 PM

Hi Guys,
Don't know wether this will help or confuse matters even more - here is a 2 piece a/a cap badge to Gurkha Signals.
Best Regards.
ukbrits

Chris Walker · #10 25-01-09, 10:17 AM

Dear ukbrits and all

Thanks for the reply and thumbnail.

I think that this my well be a made up piece using an ordinary a/a badge and had the crown sererated. The top of "Jimmy" outstretched hand looks as if there may have been an attachment there at some time.

However, that is why I asked the question in the first place.

Nice to let the Thread continue. Tynsiderish may come back with further ideas.

Many thanks

Chris

54Bty · #11 25-01-09, 11:31 AM

And mine makes two! No damage, made like it.

ukbrits · #12 25-01-09, 12:41 PM

Hi 54 Bty,
What is slightly worrying with are badges is that they appear to have different style crowns.I am surprised they ever made a staybrite badge in 1 piece, I would imagine it would be incredibly flmsy and break at the first opportunity.
I'm not ruling out Tynesideirish's opinion that they were only made in 1 piece as mine possibly could be a broken one put on a Royal Signals jimmy's backing plate?
Although it doesn't appear to be broken I'm not ruling it out.
Perhaps the L.O.C will determine wether the 2 piece badge was ever made for the Gurkha Signals?
Best Regards.
ukbrits

bess55 · #13 25-01-09, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukbrits

Hi 54 Bty,
What is slightly worrying with are badges is that they appear to have different style crowns.I am surprised they ever made a staybrite badge in 1 piece, I would imagine it would be incredibly flmsy and break at the first opportunity.
I'm not ruling out Tynesideirish's opinion that they were only made in 1 piece as mine possibly could be a broken one put on a Royal Signals jimmy's backing plate?
Although it doesn't appear to be broken I'm not ruling it out.
Perhaps the L.O.C will determine wether the 2 piece badge was ever made for the Gurkha Signals?
Best Regards.
ukbrits

Hi Gents,
Ok the two piece Gurkha anodised signals badge. I have 2 of these and they are exactly the same, purchased years apart. The crown is most definately smaller than a usual Royal Sigs Regt badge and is made separate and not broken off or in some way detached from the 'jimmy'.

The brass back plate is a bespoke size, being a very small oval/pear shape and smaller than a regular Royal Sigs back plate.

The space for the cotter pin on the rear lugs (two vertical for the jimmy and one vertical for the crown) are very small. So much so that the cotter pin is a very small guage to allow it to pass through.

Unfortunately my scanning skills are crap but i will attempt to get a picture up on here.

Does anyone else have one of these? If we think they are from a PRI or souvenir shop, so be it. I suspect they are genuine issue however.

Regards all

Bess

Alan O · #14 25-01-09, 04:37 PM

Bess,

They are not PRI shop or similiar as far as I am aware. The bi ones have been around for a while so your a/a one must be very early.

Alan

bess55 · #15 25-01-09, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Owen

Bess,

They are not PRI shop or similiar as far as I am aware. The bi ones have been around for a while so your a/a one must be very early.

Alan

Thank you Alan. I've had a good look at them this afternoon. The space between the 'staff' in the left arm and the body of the jimmy is non voided as is the crown.

Regards all
Bess