KDG & Bays Badges/Titles.

[Cardiffbloke]

Len... Can you confirm that there are prongs sticking out of the brazing holes? It looks a bit odd to me
H

[Leonard D]

Howard- thanks for taking a gander. There are no "prongs" but rather a brazing residue.
Cheers.

[Cardiffbloke]

Len
see reply to your pm....

[Davedog]

Cardiffbloke,

Can your expertise be given on my KDG badge (approx w35mm H38mm). It came with the blue felt any significance for this?

Regards Paul

[Cardiffbloke]

Hi Paul
At first glance it seems ok and it looks like a bulk standard KDG badge. What the blue backing is is do not know? Cadets?? Anyhow; on closer inspection, the strike looks a bit 'rough/untidy' particularly around the tail area and the metal looks 'flimsy'. Sadly, without having it in my hand I can do nothing else but say it looks ok but not 100% sure.... Sorry for not being more definate.

[Davedog]

Cardiffbloke,

Many thanks for your thoughts. Regards Paul

[Cardiffbloke]

Any ideas on why the blades have been replaced with lugs?

[dragonz18]

Howard,
I would suspect that if one ,or both, blades broke,or showed signs of fracturing,as is very common with these, then replacement with lugs,or even a broach-pin fitting, would seem to be an ideal,& more perminent, solution ??
Cheers !
Steve

[Cardiffbloke]

True! thats what i first thought.... A local repair.... However.... The Bays Officers stopped wearing the full size cap badge pretty soon after adopting it and opted for the smaller version. So; the Q is... why put lugs on an obsolete badge?

[Cardiffbloke]

The answer! To wear it as a pagri badge in the 1920's tour of India! .....

[fearnaught]

Hi, can you tell me if it's right and if so when was it worn? It appears to be plated, probably chrome. Mike

[Cardiffbloke]

Hi Mick, good speaking again.....
This is an early QDG manifestation. Made obviously by Firmin and probably touted to the Regt'l PRI. I'm not sure if they wore it. As you say it is 'chromed' and cast. My guess is that it was not worn as the Regt did and still does not like the 'slidered' badge. As a rule of thumb and outside of 'in theatre' badges; anything with a slider for post 1938 KDG and post amalgamation QDG is dodgy.
Hope that is of some help.... H

[Alan O]

H,

Surely the (unworn) but official issue all brass post 1938 eagle would have been issued with a slider?

Alan

[Cardiffbloke]

Hi Alan
Yes indeed it was and luckily there is documentation in the regimental archive about it (thankfully; or these little gems of info would simply disappear and we would all be clueless about the why's and wherefore's). It seems the KDG had lobbied the War Office for months before the proposed badge change in 1937/38 about the fact that they did not want a brass slidered badge but wanted a lugged white metal badge. The War Office were adamant that the KDG should wear a brass and slidered badge and that is what they were going to produce for them; like it or not! It seems the WM lugged version would have been more expensive. So; in typical Cav fashion the regimental hierarchy ordered in a badge of their own and issued it to the boys on changeover from the Star & Garter version. The brass badge did not fully disappear however as the recruits at the depot were issued with it by central stores, changing it on arrival at RD (very much like today's QDG soldiers with the staybright abomination!). It took a further 10 years!! before the WD changed the output spec on the badge to what the KDG actually wanted. But by then they had their badge supply established through a PRI contract and the newly 'improved' badge was rarely worn as it was of a very inferior quality and the boys did not like wearing it, much less the RSM at the time.
There are however (as always) a few caveats. Some KDG did wear brass badges during WWII when supplies ran out and a locally produced and a pretty shoddy replacement was used. Michael Mann the regimental historian and an ex Captain in the wartime KDG writes a note in the archive about it.