RAAC White Metal Rising Sun Badges.

[Lancer 17]

G'day all

Over a period there has been on going discussion on white metal rising sun badges.

Last night I was re reading part of the 2010 edition of Ironsides, The Journal of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. In a discussion relating to the banning of the wearing of berets in the Australian Army I came across a letter from Brig R.J.H. Noble,DSC, CSC, Head of Corps, addressed to the then Chief of Army Lt. Gen. Ken Gillespie AO, DSC, CSM. This letter states in part that,"the black beret was formally adopted as the Corps order of dress on 3 Aug 1944 or March 1945 (depending on which source you quote).

The letter quotes in part a letter from General Hopkins that deals with the black beret and its predecessor the khaki beret.

In part Gen Hopkins letter states

"(b) The black beret is the traditional head-dress of the Royal Armoured Corps and it is desirable that Aust Armd Corps be similarly dressed."

"The black beret was strictly Royal Tank Corps and NOT Royal Amd Corps. however the change from khaki to black beret was approved by the CGS (Lt. Gen. J Northcott) on 3 Aug 1944."

It further states
"Shortly afterwards, the Commander, 4 Aust armd Bde (Brig adier D Macarthur Onslow)recommended that a chromium plated Commonwealthhat badge be worn by Armoured Corps Personnel on the black beret instead of the ordinary copper oxydised badge. This, he said, wouldgive the Corps a distinctive badge which would also serve as a linkwith the other ArmdCorps of the British Commonwealthforces which all wore a silvered badge. It would greatly forter esprit-de-corps and could be done in 4 Armd bde Workshops without cost. Whatever the the decidinfg factor, the proposal was approved in February 1945."

[Lancer 17]

Sorry guys I managed to post this twice, however the complete post is the other one.

Regards

Pphil.

[lettman]

Whether or not anyone actually wore white metal rising suns, the standard practice with the readoption of the black beret in 1945 was to wear the large, hat-size badge instead of the collar.

[slick_mick]

Several units (1st Armoured Regiment, 6th NSW Mounted Rifles and 7/21st Australian Horse wore the large chrome/WM rising sun badge on their black berets in the late 1940s and up to around 1953/1954.

Mick

[gazzamacca]

check this out, is it for real?
General plastics

[slick_mick]

Could it be a nursing one?

The RAAC Rising Suns were all post WW2 ones (Australian Military Forces).

Mick

[badgecollector]

hi macca
from the pics, it looks like it has been chrome plated to me
what size is it? hat or collar?
i dont think nurses wore hat badges as they didnt wear slouch hats. as far as i am aware, they only wore collar sized badges
bc

[gazzamacca]

BC 45 H 63 W the same size as my other GP badges
The copper is showing through the lugs where the rings rubbed on them
macca