NZ Headdress Badges in WW2

[popskipa]

Hello,

I ask the help on the forum with what may sound a daft question.

What cap badges were worn by the NZ Army when serving outside New Zealand during the Second World War? Were the full range of regiment and corps badges worn or was only the Onward badge allowed?

Thank you, Keith

[Tinto]

Hi Keith,
The Onward badge was worn mainly by the Infantry Battalions during WW2 and the Artillery, Engineers and other Corps wore their own specific badges.
Cheers, Tinto

[pukman]

I would also like to mention ,New Zealand soldiers who served with the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) ,wore a British LRDG badge ,and later a distinctive,New Zealander worn only ,
NZLRP badge (New Zealand Long Range Patrol), badge on their headdress .

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by Tinto

Hi Keith,
The Onward badge was worn mainly by the Infantry Battalions during WW2 and the Artillery, Engineers and other Corps wore their own specific badges.
Cheers, Tinto

I would like to point out that the NZ Artillery, NZ Engineers and other NZ Corps when serving outside of New Zealand during WW2 also wore the Onward badge.

[Tinto]

Good point, Brent, but there were exceptions to this, for example, the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps (27th Machine Gun Battalion) wore their specific badge.
Cheers, Tinto

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by Tinto

Good point, Brent, but there were exceptions to this, for example, the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps (27th Machine Gun Battalion) wore their specific badge.
Cheers, Tinto

Tinto, my Grandfather was with the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps (27th Machine Gun Battalion), all of his photos show him and his company wearing the NZ Onward badge overseas. I do however have one photo showing my Grandfather with a mate who against regulations is wearing a NZMGC hat badge on a troopship over to Egypt.

There is mention in the NZMG official histories about giving up their precious NZMGC hat badge (issued 11 October) for the generic Onward badge on page 5.

Cheers, Brent

[Tinto]

Hi Brent,
In the "The Desert Road" edited by Megan Hutching, on page 187, in a write-up about James Barclay, 8800, Second Lieutenant, 27 Machine Gun Battalion, there is a photo "Desert bathroom. A route march at Helwan, 1940" showing a soldier wearing a lemon squeezer with the NZMGC badge.
So I guess this is one of the exceptions.
Regards, Tinto

[pukman]

Here is a WW2 period ,NZASC ,peaked felt hat .It has a plain ''Onward'' badge .
The 3rd Division ,2nd NZEF wore distinguishing patches, and different coloured puggarees , to identify different units .The 3rd Division served in the Pacific theatre,during WW2.
Here is a handy guide for the NZEFIP patches .

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by Tinto

Good point, Brent, but there were exceptions to this, for example.
Cheers, Tinto

Tinto, I have seen a bit of photographic evidence suggesting that brass NZ Corps badges were worn overseas by members of the 2NZEF, and I know of two named NZ officers field service caps that were made in Egypt with Egyptian made bullion (Artillery and Signals) badges, but these appear to be all early war (1940) examples and not officially approved.

Photographic evidence of the brass NZ Expeditionary Force badge being worn in place of NZ Onward badges are much more numerous, suggesting to me they were more tolerated, but also against regulation.

According to the NZ Army Distinguishing Patch book, page 41, the 2NZEF Onward badge design was officially approved on the 16th October 1939.
I would be very interested to find out what documents Malcolm and Cliff sourced this information?

However, the 16th October 1939 does fit with the New Zealand Government Defence Purchase Division advertising on the 4th October 1939, for tenders closing at noon on the 10th October 1939, to supply “7,000 Badges, brass, cap and collar” for the (Originally called the Special Force) 2NZEF.

My own research regarding the origins of the New Zealand Onward badge is still a work in progress, as there seems to be a bone of contention between book writers and historians on what badge was worn by New Zealand’s first troops to serve overseas during WW2.

The first New Zealand troops to serve overseas during WW2 was No.1 Platoon, A Company, Regular Force, consisting of two officers and thirty other ranks that were despatched to occupy Fanning Island on the 30th October 1939.

Dave Corbett’s NZ Regimental badge book (1980 revised edition) on page 245, claims No.1 Platoon, A Company, wore the Dixon crest.

Captain A. J. (Red) Aiken, author of New Zealand Army manual “NZ P77,” which “addresses the origins of customs and traditions which are part of the New Zealand Army’s way of life,” and is simply entitled the “Why.”
(The manual is not dated, but the Foreword by Major General Meldrum is dated the 30th April 1990)
Captain Aiken (Rtd) on page 66 claims No.1 Platoon, A Company, wore the NZ Onward badge.

I do admit I am a fan of Captain Aiken’s and have an original copy of his booklet “A short History of New Zealand Infantry,” which he published at Papakura Camp in 1974.
But until photographic or written evidence can be brought to light, based on weight of confirmed information available, I am inclined to believe No.1 Platoon, A Company, wore the NZ Onward badge.

The decision to adopt a universal badge for the 2NZEF appears to have been announced as early as October 1939, but the design was not officially released to the public until after the First NZ Echelon departed for Egypt on the 6th January 1940.
Although on the 1st December 1939, at Burnham Camp, the Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General (Lieut.-Colonel S. H. Crump) is quoted saying that “the design at present under consideration was two fern leaves with the letters N.Z. in the middle.”

It appears that the First NZ Echelon embarked on the 6th January 1940 wearing their Regimental and Corps badges, and that the universal NZ Onward badge cap and collar badges were purposely issued on board ship en route to Egypt.

“It was said by soldiers of the first echelon, during their final leave at Christmas, that they had been told that the issue of the distinctive Second N.Z.E.F. badges had been withheld to prevent the practice of souveniring.”

The following shows members of the 27 NZMG Battalion taken in Egypt circa April 1941; my Grandfather is marked with the red star.



The chap in the middle appears to be wearing an Egyptian made NZ Expeditionary Force badge.

[Tinto]

Thanks for your input, Brent. A great photo with your grandfather. I have seen pictures of others wearing Corps badges but as you say, mainly in the early stages of the war.
Cheers, Tinto