Brassards

[Desert Rat]

Unlike other nations, why did the Canadian Army use a removable brassard with insignia and rank? Were these primarily worn in the Mediterranean theatre of operations?

[48th]

Armlets were used in the Mediterranean theatre starting around April of 1944 judging from period pictures and the research I have done.

Armlets were used to make the washing of uniforms easier, easier to transfer insignia to another shirt, shortage of insignia, make insignia last longer and easier to take down insignia for security reasons to name a few.

From talking to WWII 48th Highlander veterans the armlets were issued to soldiers and had to be returned when no longer needed.
In most cases the regimental tailor made these up for each regiment. The result being different regiments had distinctive shapes and construction styles.

If a soldier held a rank it was also in most cases added to the armlets excluding warrent officers.
I will post a few pictures of armlets from my collection that have ranks added to them.

[48th]

Here is a couple examples of armlets with ranks Incorporated.

[edstorey]

Nice examples!

[Desert Rat]

Thank you very much 48th.

[48th]

Originally Posted by edstorey

Nice examples!

Thanks Ed, I do enjoy my WWII Canadian armlets collection and always looking to add more.

[Bill A]

If I understood correctly, the summer uniforms were temporary issue and were to be returned to stores at the end of the season. The armlets were portable and could be moved from shirt to shirt (or bush jacket) without damaging them. My understanding was that the armlets were write offs and once issued were the soldiers responsibility, but also his personal kit. (If they were returnable stores, why do we see them around today?)

[48th]

Originally Posted by Bill A

If I understood correctly, the summer uniforms were temporary issue and were to be returned to stores at the end of the season. The armlets were portable and could be moved from shirt to shirt (or bush jacket) without damaging them. My understanding was that the armlets were write offs and once issued were the soldiers responsibility, but also his personal kit. (If they were returnable stores, why do we see them around today?)

Hi Bill, only information I have comes from talking to WWII vets. Particularly three 48th Highlander veterans of the Italian campaign and all three stated they were required to return the issued armlets at the end of the season. Just like the summer uniform. One stating when I asked if he still had his armlets "in the army nothing belongs to you".

I am sure some soldiers managed to hold on to a few but I have yet to talk to an Italian campaign vet that was able to take his home.

I have heard accounts from guys in the Military in the 60-70's and the said they saw boxes of WWII armlets in storage that over the years just disappeared.
Like the summer uniform that had to be returned to stores at the end of the season we see many of those uniforms still around today. Similar too many things from the war they some how made it to the collectors market over time.

[Bill A]

Understood Ron, but I wonder if the practice differed regiment to regiment? There seem to be a lot of the armlets around for them to have to be returned to stores.