NZ ARMOUR EXPEDITIONARY FORCE BADGE

[actionoke]

Please tell me what years this badge would have been used and by whom exactly?
Thanks

[slick_mick]

I believe that's a World War 2 NZ Armoured Corps hat badge.

Mick

[atillathenunns]

The 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade was formed on the 7th September 1941. The badge they wore was the NZ Onward badge.

Your badge is not an official badge, so it would not have been worn on the black beret or lemon squeezer.
However it is believed by some, that badges similar to yours were made in the tank workshops, although the ones I have seen have been skilfully made.

Your badge appears to be cast and roughly made, so I am in two minds that that it was made during WW2, however, I am interested to hear what others have to say on the subject.

Brent

[atillathenunns]

Are there any other forum members with this type of badges in their collection?

[Tinto]

Hi Brent,
I don't have anything quite like the badge in the first post. The nearest I have is a NZ Expeditionary Force badge modified by a Trentham Camp badge vendor to make a School Cadet badge in the 1920's for my father in the 106th Company of the Wellington Military District (Napier Technical College).
Cheers, Tinto

[pukman]

One from the files (unfortunately not in collection)

[fearnaught]

Hi, this is mine, Mike

[nzef1940]

Here are my two.

[atillathenunns]

Gentlemen, thank you for sharing your badges.
Sadly there is very little written beyond a simple description of these badges, although in Geoff Oldham’s latest NZ badge book, he has been good enough to provide pictures of two different NZ tank badges (8/7 & 8/8) on page 74.
A third variation NZ tank badge is shown on page 66 of the excellent NZ patch book by Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, which matches the NZ Expeditionary Force badge that is posted by NZEF1940.

Interestingly, the cast badge posted by Actionoke is similar to Oldham’s “8/7” except it does not have the ‘NZ’ between the tank and the bottom scroll, which makes it the number four variation. (Actionoke’s badge is the most common variation that I have seen turning up for sale)

The badge posted by Puk, is well known to me, it was sold on trademe by another member of this forum, who asked me to evaluate it before it went up for auction. If I recall correctly, I gave it the big thumbs up, and said it should exceed the $400 NZd mark, and from memory I think it sold for double that.
Regardless, it is identical to the one posted by NZEF1940 and (apart from the markings to the tracks) it is identical to Oldham’s “8/8”
(It is also a perfect match for another one that belongs in a well-known Wellington collection which I originally used to evaluate the badge posted by Pukman)

So that brings us to Mikes badge which is a bit of an enigma in that it fits the “Workshop made tank on Onward badge” description, but it does not match the official insignia of the NZ Tank Battalion, which is the same as the badge in Oldham’s badge book (8/8) and the Onward badges posted by Pukman and NZEF1940.
Not only is Mikes tank in the wrong position, it also does not have the raised piece at the top of the tank, which is noticeable in Puks, NZEF1940 and Oldhams badges.
Another observation is that Mikes badge appears to have solder or lead on the back which just doesn’t look right to me?

Are the “Tank on Experditionary Force badges” of the same period as the “Workshop made tank on Onward badges”?
Well I don’t really know, but examples such as the one posted by NZEF1940, and the one pictured in the NZ patch book by Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, both use an Egyptian sand cast frame with a tank that has been cut from a British tank badge, which suggests to me that these variation of tank badges were made in Egyptian workshops and not in New Zealand.

[atillathenunns]

Official insignia of the NZ Tank Battalion, dated 1942



“The New Zealand Army Tank Brigade was formed on the 7th September 1941, when 72 officers and men of the Divisional Cavalry Regiment 2NZEF arrived at Waiouru military camp. (majority of which were trained at the Middle East Royal Armoured Corps School)

The New Zealand Army Fighting Vehicles (AFV) School was established at Waiouru military camp on the 18th September 1941.
Initially, only the instructors and members of the staff of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles School wore the black beret, and on the right upper arm a worsted badge of a white tank outlined in black.
On the 16th October 1941, the arrival of the several thousand men drafted into the Tank Brigade arrived at Waiouru and were divided into three battalions, (representing the 3 military districts).
Members of the tank brigade were first issued the standard battle dress and the field service cap, and shortly after were issued with a black puggaree for the Lemon Squeezer hat.

Official approval to wear the black beret was granted in Regimental Orders on the 17th February 1942.
The New Zealand Army Tank Brigade were the only unit within New Zealand authorised to wear the 2NZEF Onward badge.”




An interesting poster showing the insignia of the 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade.

[Corey]

Sadly the closest thing I have to an early badge.

[saumua]

Originally Posted by atillathenunns

Are there any other forum members with this type of badges in their collection?

I have a few of these in my collection, some are rough like this but I also have one from a good source with eth WW1 Exped Force badge sand cast and a white metal Brit tank centre sweated on.

[atillathenunns]

Originally Posted by saumua

I have a few of these in my collection, some are rough like this but I also have one from a good source with eth WW1 Exped Force badge sand cast and a white metal Brit tank centre sweated on.

Please do post pics of them on this thread, and also very interested to know more about your "good source."

[saumua]

Originally Posted by atillathenunns

Please do post pics of them on this thread, and also very interested to know more about your "good source."

Always been in my album....

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...hp?albumid=211