Anodised Royal Engineers - unmarked brass slider

[bess55]

Chaps, just to share an oddity with you and see if anyone else has one.

Gaunt made a Royal Engineers cap badge with riveted brass slider. These as we know are marked either Gaunt London or Birmingham. Usually the anodised badge back is also marked with either - although some of the 'London' marked sliders have badges with no mark on the rear.

I found this recently amongst my spares. It does appear to be a Gaunt made badge - with brass slider - but has no mark's at all.

Anyone else got one of these unmarked sliders or any other regiments?

[engr9266]

Hello Bess, I have one of these in my RE collection. There is one with blank slider with Gaunt London on back of badge. I also have a few with either Gaunt London or Gaunt B'ham on slider and either or both on the badge back and one with Gaunt Birmingham in full on badge back.
I have around 47 Re a/a badges which are different in one way or other.

[bess55]

Excellent- thanks Jerry.

[JerryBB]

I bought one of these unmarked slider RE AA badges along with a damaged T & S version.

[Mike H]

Bess,have you checked the underside of the slider ?
Ive seen badges which have had the slider reversed .

[JerryBB]

Originally Posted by Mike H

Bess,have you checked the underside of the slider ?
Ive seen badges which have had the slider reversed .

I checked mine, nothing there

[Oxley541]

Hi, I have been endeavouring to pull together a list of all AA RE badges have been produced in some form or other. I know there are others out there and will keep adding to.

If anyone has any additions then please let me know....

Many thanks

[Ex Supt Clk RAOC]

One that would fit into your list as 8A. Turner & Simpson (T&S) no circles but on a Nickle slider.
Regards Steve

[bess55]

Oxley, the badge you show as experimental appears to have the anodised blades. These were I believe for the Danbury Mint collection amd were a collectors set - albeit from original dies as I understand it - unless you have a much better provenance for it, then a great find.

I have a one or two badges with the unusual pin and clasp badge too. Cap badges they aint, but if not another collectors version, they MAY be for RP brassards? (doubtful though). That type of fitting unfortunately wouldnt last 5 minutes in a beret and wouldnt attach to the GS cap.

I would check the black one. I dont believe that an RE cap badge was 'made' anodised black. If its on a Toye marked slider its too late for the 1980's and Op Banner use really. It may have been sprayed with weapon paint - which is extremely hardy. However, if on the scrutiny of inspection, it appear made, then so be it - well done and another unknown before to add to my list. However these can be seen on eBay - along with other Regts - and are defo painted unfortunately.

Nice collection there and I concur with Steve - the only one I would add is the T&S on alloy slider.

Regards all

Bess

[grey_green_acorn]

In the early 1990s a set of 80 badges were marketed in monthly instalments by the Danbury Mint. The publicity material said that the collection of 80 historic badges “provides an outstanding tribute to the finest regiments in the British Army. Rich in detail, the badges are superbly crafted by one of the Army's official manufacturers, Firmin and Sons. This is your guarantee of authenticity and assurance of quality as these are the actual badges as worn by our Armed Forces.”
The majority of the badges were made of anodised aluminium but the Grenadier Guards badge (reflecting the issued item) was in gilding metal, the Blues and Royals in bronze finish metal, the QDG in chrome finish and the Royal Army Chaplains Department in a blackened metal finish. Most of the badges were fitted with blades so that they could be mounted in groups of five on sixteen A5 black fabric covered boards which in turn were mounted in two "dark oak military frames". The badges of the 13th/18th Hussars, R Signals, Gurkha Brigade and RAEC, because of their thin construction, were fitted with clutch pins and the REME badge with one blade and one clutch pin.
The collection was accompanied by an illustrated booklet and included a section on the planned amalgamations and name changes that would result from “Options for Change”. Subsequently an additional set with badges of the "new" Regiments and Corps was issued with a smaller frame.
The original advert from a Sunday Supplement Magazine shows that the badges cost £9.56 each! So 80 x £9.56 = £764.80 for the set! Although mostly unmarked it seems likely that some badges were made by DOWLER which had amalgamated with FIRMIN in 1969 but continued to trade under separate maker names.
In the 1990s the badges were sold by Firmins at the Royal Tournament held annually at Earl's Court, London.
Questions about these "bladed" anodised aluminium badges come up on the Forum from time to time. Hopefully this album will assist with the answers!
The anodised blades are quite fragile and will not stand up to repeated bending!

RE shown below. See my Album for other examples.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...p?albumid=1177


Tim

[leigh kitchen]

Off topic, but wasn't the Welsh Guards Badge produced by Danbury with a clutch pin fitting?

[grey_green_acorn]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Off topic, but wasn't the Welsh Guards Badge produced by Danbury with a clutch pin fitting?

That is possible but my example is fitted with two blades.
Tim