British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > South African Military and Police Insignia > General Topics

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 19-10-16, 08:45 AM
RobD's Avatar
RobD RobD is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: UK and Cape Town
Posts: 150
Default Cloth backing patches in ABW

Dear All,
I understand that during the Anglo Boer War helmet and slouch hat badges were sometimes worn with a rectangle or diamond of a backing cloth. I read that for most units the backing colour was scarlet, with the RAMC badge being backed in dull cherry, and Scottish badges in tartan.
Is this info. correct? Did officers and other ranks all wear headgear badges?
The books I have tend to show a remarkable lack of unit insignia worn in the field.
I'd appreciate members posting any contemporary photos of headgear badges being worn during the ABW - many thanks!
Rob
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 19-10-16, 11:21 AM
craigen craigen is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 110
Default

Hi Rob

Are you referring to just British units or to colonial units as well?

Regards
Craig
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 19-10-16, 07:09 PM
Frank Kelley's Avatar
Frank Kelley Frank Kelley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7,562
Default

By late 1901, the slouch hat was in wear in a great many British Infantry and Cavalry regiments complete with cap badges, in a great many cases, prior to that, they had worn both helmet and FSC, the latter with a cap badge, the former often with an embroidered "flash" which had normally started out life as a cut down shoulder strap from the home service full dress tunic, as the war progressed, these often began to shrink in size, as men began to sanitise themselves on the battlefield, until they eventually started to disappear altogether.
Metal badges were not usually worn on the helmet, notwithstanding, you do, on occasion, certainly encounter odd examples, in particular, collar badges being worn, in particular by Scottish regiments, on a tartan patch.
Many members of the various SAMIF regiments did wear badges on their slouch hats, often with their own particular squadron/company melton cloth backing, their officers often wore shoulder titles, but, the majority of their rank and file did not, with their badges usually being assumed to be shoulder titles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobD View Post
Dear All,
I understand that during the Anglo Boer War helmet and slouch hat badges were sometimes worn with a rectangle or diamond of a backing cloth. I read that for most units the backing colour was scarlet, with the RAMC badge being backed in dull cherry, and Scottish badges in tartan.
Is this info. correct? Did officers and other ranks all wear headgear badges?
The books I have tend to show a remarkable lack of unit insignia worn in the field.
I'd appreciate members posting any contemporary photos of headgear badges being worn during the ABW - many thanks!
Rob

Last edited by Frank Kelley; 19-10-16 at 07:46 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 21-10-16, 01:31 PM
RobD's Avatar
RobD RobD is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: UK and Cape Town
Posts: 150
Default

Thanks Frank - any pictures you can post?
Craig, Colonial units too, please!
I attach a couple of drawings of the King's Own Royal regt (Lancaster) taken from http://www.kingsownmuseum.com/ko0614o.htm
1st shows an officer in Singapore 1898 - I don't recall seeing a badge worn at the front of any helmets in the ABW, tend to be on the sides. The 2nd shows an officer in 1902.
Any more?
Rob
Attached Images
File Type: jpg ko0614-088.jpg (15.4 KB, 19 views)
File Type: jpg ko0614-089.jpg (11.2 KB, 15 views)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 21-10-16, 01:43 PM
RobD's Avatar
RobD RobD is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: UK and Cape Town
Posts: 150
Default

And there's this famous photos of Canadians
http://prints.national-army-museum.a...a-kopje-1900-c
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 447025.jpg (39.6 KB, 19 views)
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-11-16, 12:03 PM
Madziro Madziro is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Basingstoke UK
Posts: 529
Default

Have attached a portrait of an Imperial Light Horse man. One can see his slouch hat title quite clearly. I had a go at drawing helmet flashes of various units based on an old article and some photos in different publications that might be of interest.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg ILH portrait.jpg (56.8 KB, 15 views)
File Type: jpg British helmet flashes no 1.jpg (67.1 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg British helmet flashes no 2.jpg (73.9 KB, 24 views)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 10:55 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.