A very stupid question... sewing badges?

[dauph197]

Hi guys,

I want to apologize for this very stupid question but I was once said the only stupid question is the question you don't ask...

So, here is my question.

How the badges were sewn on the battle dress? By hand or with a sewing machine?

The reason why I'm asking this question is because at the museum where I work as a volunteer, we can find both, some sewn by hand and some by sewing machine. The reason why I doubt, is because one that have been sewn by a machine has the service chevrons up-side down.

You can all laugh about me... I can take it!

[Bill A]

Hey Martin, Badges were sewn on both by hand and by machine.

[dauph197]

Oh... I see.

Thanks Bill.

I understand that a field promotion may lead to sew the badges by hands. I f I would have been better in English, I would have ask, if anyone of you knows if the regiment where taking the uniforms to sew the badges on them or if it was the soldier's responsibility?

In clear, I'm asking myself if I'm better to sew the badges by myself, by hands or if I should give the job to my mother in order to be the most accurate by restoring a battle dress.

Maybe I should have asked this question in private?!

Seriously, I was looking for this answer since a good amount of time and the fact that I found both in the Museum's reserve didn't help me to figure it out.

[Bill A]

Generally speaking putting up badges is the soldiers' responsibility. In some circumstances a tailor was made available to do the sewing, or the regiment was in quarters where a unit tailor could be set up. Sometimes an RCOC tailor was available, and sometimes a local tailor was hired by a soldier or group of soldiers to do the job.
Probably would have been better to ask in private...

[badjez]

Martin,

The only stupid question is one that remains unasked.

Thanks to you many of us now know more than we did before. Thank you.

Stephen.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally Posted by dauph197

Hi guys,

I want to apologize for this very stupid question but I was once said the only stupid question is the question you don't ask...

So, here is my question.

How the badges were sewn on the battle dress? By hand or with a sewing machine?

The reason why I'm asking this question is because at the museum where I work as a volunteer, we can find both, some sewn by hand and some by sewing machine. The reason why I doubt, is because one that have been sewn by a machine has the service chevrons up-side down.

You can all laugh about me... I can take it!

Note that many hand-sewn badges were done with whatever was near to hand. They didn't have fabric stores in the front-lines, so you will see surviving examples of Battle Dress with, for example, dark blue badges sewn on with grey darning wool, used for mending socks, because that was all the guy had to sew with. The results can be very crude, with mismatched colours, etc.

Note also that for security reasons, troops in the field were occasionally ordered to strip all the badges off their uniforms, and then sew them back on again later. Again, this was difficult to do with precision in the field, and the troops used whatever materials were near to hand to accomplish this.

But relatively few truly "field-worn" examples probably exist, as new Battle Dress was issued at the end of the war for the survivors to come home in.

[sixxpackjack]

I had a neighbor who, in WW2 had purchased a sewing machine in France. He was in the CASC I believe. When he got to Holland he would repair uniforms and sew badges for tips in his downtime. There was an article about in him on the legion website a few years ago.

[dauph197]

Thank you Michael, your answer make a lot of sense. This is the kind of things I was thinking of.

I appreciate your input.

[dauph197]

Todd, that's an interesting point... I just saw your answer after I post my last message.

Is there any chances to get the article?

A funny thing is, I was doing the exact same thing when I was in Bosnia in 1996. I was friend with the Mat Tech who was in charge of the shop where a sewing machine was. I was making small bags to rearrange stuff in Grizzly vehicles we were using. It won't take before I ended with uniforms and badges to sew... it was great spending the downtime that way.

[gb64]

Just as a note, I can remember my old mum sewing badges on my dads battle dress & other uniforms ( women could do that sort of thing in those days I've just had a look at his uniforms as I'm lucky enough to still have them, the formation patches look a very neat machine stich ( done by the Regt I would guess as I can't remember mum using one) but the rank badges and medal ribbons are hand sewn for sure.

Gerard

[dauph197]

Thanks for the details Gerard. I'm preparing my stuff to start sewing the badges on my battle dress... Just have to find the proper thread now...

[2747andy]

Traditionally Coldstream Guards cloth insignia is hand sewn and not machined on to uniforms; whether this is still strictly adhered to with the advent of "Contract Tailoring" I do not know.

Andy

[Hussar100]

When I was a soldier we were all required to keep in our possession a little bag or pouch containing needles, thread, spare buttons and the like. We called it a "Housewife". On occasions where we had no tailor in residence we sewed all our badges, medal ribbons and buttons on ourselves and effected any repairs to our issue clothing which we were able to; small holes etc. In barracks or in the field.

When garrisoned together with the entire regiment in large, well equipped barracks, we had a civilian tailor who carried out any jobs we needed done at no cost. When serving in Northern Ireland with the UDR we had a bloke in the stores who was good with a machine and he carried out any work we needed fore a fee.

When I was a cadet my mum sewed my badges and buttons on. I'm sure this was the case with many married pads as well.

So really, it's a question of circumstance who sews on badges etc.

[edstorey]

Yes, the 'Housewife' was an issue item in the Canadian military at least until the 1990s although the name was changed sometime in the 1970s to 'Sewing Kit'.

Here is an image of an unissued WWII example.

[Hussar100]

It was also an issue item in the British Army but that stopped before I became a soldier in 1978.