CEF Coloured Epaulettes

[Bill A]

Found this regulation while doing some research:
24 September 1918
CEF Routine Orders
1107 Dress Regulations for Warrant Officers, N.C.Os and Men.
#9. Coloured shoulder straps are permitted to be worn by warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the original 1st Canadian Contingent, who have been returned to Canada from overseas.

The 1st Contingent which landed in the UK in the fall of 1914, and had their baptism of fire at 2nd Battle of Ypres in 1915, wore service dress tunics that had the corps identified by coloured epaulets. The RO created a dress distinction awarded to those surviving members of the Contingent.

[servicepub]

Bill,

This is covered in my book "Khaki - Uniforms of the CEF"

Cheers,
Clive

[Bill A]

Hi Clive, If I read Khaki correctly, the authorization was for overseas. This RO extends the use to Canada.

[Empire collector]

Over the past week I have been watching Passchendaele DVD.

I had noticed that the main character played by Paul Gross in the first part of the film had blue epaulettes on his uniform. He played a Sgt from the 10th CEF from Calgary.
This puzzled me until this thread, as I had never seen these before.
Now I have the answer, thank you.

Is all that mud still outside Calgary?

Alan

[capbadge]

Hey Alan,

I was an extra in the Passchendaele movie, got to see both paul gross and the main female character- if you look at the attestion office scene where he is interviewing the kid I am hanging around in the background. Didn't actually like the movie (bad love story, corney lines, not enough fighting) but was an interesting experience. Also it was filmed in Fort Macleod

[Bill A]

Neat experience.

[Recce]

Originally Posted by Empire collector

Over the past week I have been watching Passchendaele DVD.

I had noticed that the main character played by Paul Gross in the first part of the film had blue epaulettes on his uniform. He played a Sgt from the 10th CEF from Calgary.
This puzzled me until this thread, as I had never seen these before.
Now I have the answer, thank you.

Is all that mud still outside Calgary?

Alan

Service Dress - First Contingent 1914

Other Ranks of the First Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to Europe in 1914 wore the Canadian Service Dress
uniform designed and issued in 1903. It consisted of a close fitting jacket, trousers, puttees, and ankle boots. The jacket had
a stand up collar, and was fitted with coloured shoulder straps attached, designating the branch of service of the wearer.
Detachable coloured shoulder straps had been in use before the war, although the colour scheme of straps worn by the
First Contingent men was different than the prewar scheme. The coloured straps were phased out over the first year of the
war, being replaced with plain straps. For those that retained them, the coloured straps remained a prized sign that the wearer
had belonged to the First Contingent.



Blue ,,,,, Infantry
Green,,,,,, Rifle Regiment
Red,,,,,,,,,, Artillery
Signals,,,,,, French Grey

Cavalry

Canadian Army Veterinary Corps ,,,,Yellow
Canadian Army Medical Corps,,,,,, Maroon
Canadian Army Service Corps ,,,,,,White with blue pipings
Engineers Blue with yellow pipings, also red oval tab below shoulder with "CE" in blue

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/uniforms/uniform.htm


Photos - 10th Battalion, CEF, 1914-1918

http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/ph...14-18/10th.htm

[Wyn vdSchee]

The muddy field depicted in Passchendaele was located in what used to be a small training area located on the Sarcee Indian Reserve leased from the Tsuu Tsina nation by DND. The lease was not renewed after about 1996 and is now used as grazing land. It was rented to the movie production company to replicate the muddy conditions of the battle area, and was soaked for days to create authenticity. Many of the interiors and street scenes were filmed in Fort Macleod
Wyn