Royal Welch Fusiliers Anodised Badge With Extended Lugs

[hagwalther]

Hi Guys,

I've been doing some work on the structure of anodised badges and note that the fusiliers badges have over extended lugs.

See photo.

Is this to allow room for a heckle to be attached?

Regards

Chris

yes it is

peter

[Alan O]

Chris,

It is a Hackle not heckle!

Alan

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by peter616

yes it is

peter

Thanks Peter !!

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Alan Owen

Chris,

It is a Hackle not heckle!

Alan

Thanks Alan,

Get the 'Replace' function on Microsoft word going ...

Regards

Chris

[Mike H]

Chris,you can find this badge with a slider as well.Presumably for use in the No1 dress hat.

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by Mike H

Chris,you can find this badge with a slider as well.Presumably for use in the No1 dress hat.

Thanks Mike,

I'll include this comment.

Regards

Chris

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Mike H

Chris,you can find this badge with a slider as well.Presumably for use in the No1 dress hat.

Not in Anodised Aluminium (Stabrite) you can't. No1 Dress hats have not been worn by the RWF since between the Wars. Once berets and hackles began to be worn, no No1 Dress hats were issued. Bi-metal badges (i.e. old- style brass and nickel silver) did have a slider for wear in the following headress:

1. No1 Dress caps (caveat as above).
2. SD Caps.
3. Field Service Caps (aka side hats) both Regt Patt Navy Blue and GS Khaki.
4. General Service Caps (an early form of beret type khaki headress with a self cloth headband) 1943 on.
5. Blue Beret prior to issue of Anodised Aluminium (with hackle often secured in the leather tube that is stitched inside).

[54Bty]

RWF aa with shank.

[Alan O]

I have an identical but more modern one marked Firmin london. That Hughes one is much older as they were around in the 1950s and made the pre 1958 Royal Irish Fusiliers badges as well.

Alan

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by 54Bty

RWF aa with shank.

Very interesting. Must be very few of these and am not convinced (yet) that they were issue as never heard of 'Hughes' as a badge maker. Brother and I served in Regt from 1963 to to 1984 and of course we knew a lot of old soldiers frrom 50s (my CSM and Pioneer Sgt both had WW2 medals). Both insisted that in 50s they had bi-metal badges, which they had to polish and there was also a rather quaint tradition of issuing a WW1 economy badges to those on 'jankers' (to readily ID them for 'dirty jobs') from a stock held in QMs at Wrexham. In 1958(ish) the Welsh Brigade Cap badge (known to the Regt not affectionately as 'cricket stumps') was worn with a white hackle (RSF/RHF pattern) in a dark blue beret. From 1968/69 the regimental cap badge was re-issued in AA. The TA and cadets (ACF) continued to wear the Regt badge throughout and I am wondering if that is what your badge is. The name 'Hughes' is very North Wales so that would fit. Regt badges were also sold by the Regt museum during that time with sliders but these were not issue to Regulars. All badges I ever saw (within the dates quoted) were either Firmin or Gaunt and none ever had a slider. All that said, there was a period in the early 1950s when Service Dress Coloured Hats with a red band (a la RA) were worn with No1 Dress and cap badges with sliders were worn in these, most notably for the Queen's Coronation. Up till now I had always been assured that the badges were bi-metal, perhaps they were not.

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by Alan Owen

I have an identical but more modern one marked Firmin london. That Hughes one is much older as they were around in the 1950s and made the pre 1958 Royal Irish Fusiliers badges as well.

Alan

Like this one.

Maybe 'Mike' should add Hughes to the list!

[Alan O]

Toby

Indeed it is quite possible that these early Hughes ones went to the TA Bns or cadets in the late 50s or early 60s when the Regulars had the Welsh bde. I cannot believe that it is a fake as it is such a common badge there would be no profit in it.

Alan

[bess55]

Originally Posted by Alan Owen

Toby

Indeed it is quite possible that these early Hughes ones went to the TA Bns or cadets in the late 50s or early 60s when the Regulars had the Welsh bde. I cannot believe that it is a fake as it is such a common badge there would be no profit in it.

Alan

Guys,
I have a couple of these and at least one of them is a Gaunt made badge. There must have been a legitimate application for them. Perhaps cadets is the most likely.

Regards

Bess

[hagwalther]

Guys,

I have a few fusiliers badges with sliders too in anodised aluminium and am convinced they are factory made and not fake.

The identification of fakes is starting to become pretty apparent to me now after a weekend of writing up articles and looking at my collection and taking my German combat badge experience into the pot.

This includes the 'hollow back' large Scottish badges where both a male and female die were used. I thought this was going to be the problem area but was quite surprised when I got the old 20X loop out.

I need one reply from Firmin (hopefully they will as they have been a no show so far) on the manufacturing process and the authenticity for 95% of all anodised aluminium badges should be able to be carried out.

The other 5% I am still rooting around for and have posted a thread re: East Lancs and Royal Surrey Regt especially by Smith and Wright so if you have any of these badges in anodised form please email me at:

hagwalther AT gmail DOT com

Regards

Chris