Question on one of my badges RA flaming grenade

[guest12]

Hi chaps been asking around at a RA badge i have with 2 extra flames on it.
Is this RA sappers/engineers
So far no one i have spoken too can agree.Please help
mac

[guest12]

Sorry chaps for bad photo but all you moor experianced will know the differance.2 x extra flames to front.
mac

[guest12]

Sorry Gents pic really poor not like me at all will post a better one tomorrow if requested
mac

[guest12]

Just been told this is a cap not a coller.Other opinions welcome.
mac

[Artynut]

Surely it's Royal Engineers?....cap and collar.

[dak580]

G’day Mac

Agree with Artynut I have always been of the opinion that the 2 ‘extra’ flames make this a collar badge of the Royal Engineers.

Cheers
John

[davec2]

Hello Macca,

I concur, it's a Royal Engineer's collar badge.

Dave.

[2747andy]

100% a Royal Engineers OSD Collar badge, I'm not sure if like the Royal Artillery this was also worn in the side hat. The reason the RA wore a collar as a cap badge was because the "Gun Badge" was considered too large (prior to the introduction of the smaller pattern badge). RE officers wore/wear an embroidered Grenade above the "Ubique" scroll, so I think (may be wrong) iy was solely a collar!

Andy

[Faugh-A-Ballagh]

The badge in question is definitely a Royal Engineers Officers collar badge. The distinction being the two extra flames at the front as opposed to the Royal Artillery grenade. I have attached a photo of a couple of these for comparison (1 in brass the other in bakelite).

Today the Royal Engineers officers wear a bullion grenade as a beret badge. I also have had in my posession a second world war dated Royal Engineers officers side cap with the bronze OSD collar badge on it as a cap badge. It belonged to a relative who was a RE officer, so it is authentic.

RA officers today wear a bullion grenade on a side cap in some orders of dress today, however, I don't believe that the RE wear such head dress. The fantastic thing about this forum is that this will certainly be confirmed or ruled out very quickly.

I will try and persuade the member who now has the side hat to post a picture.

John

[revdougal]

RE Officers do wear a side cap (Field Service Cap) but at own expence, and if the CO has not got a dislike of such headgear!

[revdougal]

Just to add to confusion, there is a grenade with three - rather than 2 - extra flames (I have a couple of examples), which I believe were worn by Indian sappers prior to Independence

[jeanpit-frenchy]

Originally Posted by revdougal

Just to add to confusion, there is a grenade with three - rather than 2 - extra flames (I have a couple of examples), which I believe were worn by Indian sappers prior to Independence

like this ?

[engr9266]

It is an RE osd collar dog(badge)-nine flames. During my 24 years service(1969-1993) with the Royal Engineers I never saw a officer wear a side cap and I never saw one wear a collar dog(badge) as a cap badge. The embroidered grenade was worn on the beret by officers and a bronze or silver & gilt badge in the khaki sd hat.

[Kiwisapper]

I have never seen an Engineer Officer wear a side hat either but I do have an example here (see photo) which was worn by a Colonel in the RNZE post WWII (and more recently by me at a mess function where I was Mr Vice, however not to the pleasure of my CO and RSM).

I have another one which belonged to my Great Uncle who served in the Royal Engineers and will post a photo of that shortly.

In the RNZE both officers and WO1's wear the flaming grenade bullion badge. As far as I am aware both the Engineers and the Gunners started out life with 8 flames, however after an unfortunate incident with the gunners doing a runner, and the Engineers, cooks and clerks manning the guns, they got stripped of a flame and we gained one. At least that is what I tell my gunner friends when someone asks.

Hope this helps.

Rob (currently serving RNZE Officer)

[Luc]

Here's my cap from a sapper who served with SEAC.