Belgian Army in the UK Cap Badges

[Brigade Piron]

Hello,

Are these the type actually produced in the UK?




And these?




The bottom lug on the right badge has broken off.

BP

[Peter Brydon]

I have the attached badge amongst my spares, it has a bronze finish and what looks like a single pin fitting at the top put on to enable the badge to be displayed by a collector rather than for fixing to a cap BUT I cannot see signs of any previous fittings on the badge.

Anyone any thoughts please ?

P.B.

[Brigade Piron]

Ah... Are you sure it IS bronze? I may well be wrong, but the shape of the muzzle (rounded) and the pin (the other would have been attached to the back) says to me that is one of the c.1960-1980s ones that has been artificially aged to make it look older.
It is perfectly possible that I'm wrong, but that's my 1 Belgian Franc's worth!

I have heard back from a collector about some of mine:

1: Belgian 1935-40 Issue
2. German Reparation Production (1945-50?)
3. British Production 1941-44

BP

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks BP,

The badge is part of an old collection I bought and I am pretty certain it does not date to the 1960`s to 1980`s more likely at least as old as WW2.

It is not bronze metal but has a osd type bronze finish.

Is there any relevance in the fact that ( if I am correct in my understanding of what you have been told ) the 1941 onwards examples have the protruding tongue ?

P.B.

[Brigade Piron]

What is OSD?

As far as I know, all examples have a protruding tongue (the tongue of my no.1 above has snapped off).

What I meant is that in WW2 + V. Early P/W badges, the muzzle is shaped like \ at the end, whereas modern ones (and pre-war ones) have a more rounded ( shape.

BP

[Peter Brydon]

Thanks BP,

I did not realise that one of the badges had the tongue broken off.

OSD bronze ( offficers service dress ) are bronze badges or badges finished with a bronze coloured coating worn by officers that do not require cleaning.

P.B.

[Peter Brydon]

It was the start of the car boot season here this morning ( at least for the bigger sales at the cricket and rugby clubs ) and by one of those coincidences that seem to happen in the collecting world, the only military item I picked up was the white metal Belgian badge in the photos.

It lacks its lugs but was only £1.

Who would have worn a white metal version of the badge ?

P.B.

[Brigade Piron]

NCOs.

All mine have been 1 or 2 euros but your type is rarer! I must say, I'm suprised to see one turn up in a brocant in the UK!

EDIT: I don't suppose you could add that picture to the album of lion badges I've started?

BP

[Peter Brydon]

BP,

I cannot add a picture to your album but is you send me a PM with your E mail address I will send you the pictures and you can add them.

P.B.

[Malcolm Davey]

And there was me thinking i had an otc badge and its not even British

Malc

[Brigade Piron]

Thanks 8th foot, if it's OK with you, I've already added it to the album!

Joachim, it's definately Belgian - and a nice badge at that, a textbook example of the UK produced version!

BP

[Malcolm Davey]

BP what regiment does it belong to, and is it a cap or collar badge.

Malc

[Brigade Piron]

It's a cap badge used by ALL the Belgian units in the UK, in Belgium (until c.1948) and some were used right up untill the '90s.

Per WW2 usage, it is the equivilent of the GS cap badge - all units used them. This *does* include commandos but don't get your hopes up! Most of them were used by fusileer bns, bns in Northern Ireland, various logistics regiments etc. It was worn first on the Side Cap then on GS beret in various positions depending on date.

Value: £5-8 Although it is perfectly possible to find them for >£1 in some places. So they aren't rare, but hey, its still an army's in exile's badge (compared with the incredibly expensive Norwegian one...) and, in my books, counts as a british badge!

Now if you can produce a name to go with the badge, the value rises quite significantly! The top two badges of mine belonged to a luxembourg soldier in the Piron Brigade !

BP

[Brigade Piron]

This is the best link for it!

http://www.be4046.eu/

[Luc]

I've been informed that your type 1 with wire lugs is post-war.

There's also an economy pattern made of gold coloured plastic made after the war in Belgium.