City of London Yeomanry - Small Bronzed Badge?

[2747andy]

A badge that does not feature in K&K is this small lightly bronzed CoL Yeomanry badge. It is pictured in Wilkinson, but with very little information!

Does anyone have some more detail as to it's use and period of wear?

Many thanks

Andy

[David Tremain]

Sorry I can't help with your query, Andy, but a nice badge and one to add to my list of London badges to acquire. I don't recall seeing it in Gaylor either. (Now I'll have to have another look, just in case).

Cheers,
David

[Sonofacqms]

Andy,

For want of a better idea, I would say this badge was probably made during the Great War due to the fact that the City of London Yeomanry badge is very large and would have made a good target for a marksman.

I have a Royal Engineer GvR brooched bronze cap badge that was worn during that period, many people have said it's a sweetheart - In bronze . . ?

Regards Rob

[2747andy]

Rob,
I suspect you are not far off the mark, Wilkinson show it as c.WW1(?). My guess is that it is for a FSC or similar or as you say just as a less conspicuous form of insignia?

Andy

[Silver Tourist]

Good evening.

Not really my thing, but again, lets look at a few facts.

To avoid being sniped? You reckon? That's why its found in gilt then?

A well known Postal Auction firm has listed nine of this size in the last eleven years: one O/R's die stamped, bronzed on slider, non-voided; seven OSD bronze, voided, by either Jennens or Firmin on blades or loops; and one voided, gilt, by Firmin, with loops.

And, having spent a fair amount of time staring through a (real) sniper equipment in my life I would hesitate to suggest that one is not going to try using a cap-badge as an aiming mark. Have you any idea how small that is through a low fixed-power scope in even good light, at even modest ranges? But hey, each to their own. I'll revisit Hesketh-Prichard, but I'm pretty certain he doesn't suggest such an aiming mark when shooting the other way. And for those who don't know who he was, try this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesketh_Hesketh-Prichard

Enjoy.

S.T.

[Alan O]

I agree with ST here. The idea of a low visibility cap badge is silly when contemporary accounts state that they just took their metal s/ts off on night raids etc. Even if you were not wearing a helmet in the trenches (standard from 1916) then you could take the badge off your hat.

FSC is a much better bet.

[2747andy]

ST,

In English please, we are not all fluent in gobbledygook!

And before I can even attempt to translate your rantings, may I remind you that there is more to the art of sniping than looking through a set of telescopic sights! Any fool, as you have highlighted can do that!

Andy

[Rockape]

I'm going to suggest a reason for so many bronze and gilt and silver badges for this unit, and it's this: The City of London Yeomanry were on generally professionals who worked in the City and on other units would have made officers. However the tradition was and still is that London City Yeomanry units personnel couldn't all be officers, so professionals such as Barristers and Bank Managers became troopers instead of subalterns. The superior individual wealth would have lead to members purchasing badges from Jennens and Firmin and these would have been made to a superior standard compared to other units. We know this because of the quality of badges found.

Why do I make these assumptions? Firstly, The 4th County of London Yeomanry (King's Colonials) were made up of wealthy city Ex-pats who purchased their own badges in gilt. This legacy of wealthy gentlemen serving as Troopers can still be seen today in units such as The HAC and 68 Signal Squadron (Inns of Court & City Yeomanry).

No such assumption is made to assert that any badge was made to foil a sharpshooter.

Garry