British Army Lanyards

[Postwarden]

Until the 1950s lanyards were only an officially authorised dress embellishment for officers although some regiments paid for them and wore them unoficially anyway. As part of the postwar tidy-up of embellishments it was agreed that any embellishment which was approved by the War Office Dress Committee established in 1946 would be supplied by Ordnance as an official issue and the issue of lanyards was extended mor widely.

The first list of authorised lanyards was published as an Army Council Instruction in 1953. Details of it were published in The Formation Sign; the Journal of the Military Heraldry Society in April 2001. The relevant pages are attached by kind permission of the current Editor - just another example of the advantages of joining the Society.

Sitting at Kew is a former War Office file WO32/3559 which covers the 1949 Parachute Regiment Dress regulations - this records the following lanyards as authorised for the regiment's battalions;
Dress for individual units
1 Para – Dark red lanyard – left shoulder BD
2 Para – Dark blue lanyard – left shoulder BD
3 Para – Buff lanyard – left shoulder BD
10 Para – Dark red and blue lanyard – left shoulder BD
11 Para – Yellow and red lanyard – left shoulder BD
12 Para – Light blue lanyard – left shoulder BD
13 Para – Black lanyard – left shoulder BD
14 Para – Yellow and black lanyard – left shoulder BD
15 Para – Hunting Stuart patch behind cap badge
16 Para – Green, red and white lanyard - – left shoulder BD
17 Para – Green lanyard – left shoulder BD but only officers, WOs and NCOs down to Sgt – all others are all ranks
18 Para – Dark red and green lanyard – left shoulder BD
1 (Gds) Ind para Coy – Bde of Gds flash behind cap badge


Jon

[grey_green_acorn]

Jon,
Thanks. I have started an album to collate information and I do have some 1950s and later official information which I will add in due course.

Tim

[cw2311]

Gents,

Since we are on the subject of lanyards, can anyone tell me what regiment this one might belong to?.... I have a feeling it is American because the 1st Can Para vet I received this from worked at Fort Benning for several years.

It’s kind of a salmon colour cord with white and dark blue weaving.


Cheers!

[HamandJam]

See pic of Lt-Col Blair Mayne C/O 1stSAS wearing the dark blue lanyard after getting the legion d'honneur medal.

Cheers,
JB
PS this was supposed to be a reply to my own post.


QUOTE=cw2311;221639]Gents,

Since we are on the subject of lanyards, can anyone tell me what regiment this one might belong to?.... I have a feeling it is American because the 1st Can Para vet I received this from worked at Fort Benning for several years.

It’s kind of a salmon colour cord with white and dark blue weaving.


Cheers![/QUOTE]

[Chacal]

Hi Tim

Here is the RMP lanyard as requested and, for the sake of completeness, the RAF one as well.

Graham

[pedro alfonso]

Could you please tell me in which type (number) of dress the lanyards are used?

I gess that in number 2 Service Dress and in nº 14.

many thanks in advance

Pedro

P.D.: Also, on the right or on the left

[grey_green_acorn]

Pedro,
Please take a look at my album http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...p?albumid=2027
A work in progress and I hope to add details about methods of wear but generally lanyards are worn on No2 Dress and in some cases in shirt sleeve order. Some are worn by Officers only, others are only worn by WOs and SNCOs. Which arm depends largely on Regimental history!

Tim

[pedro alfonso]

Tim,

Many thanks. Good job.

For me, from Spain, it´s very difficult to get info about British army uniforms.

Pedro

[Mike B]

The Royal Marines Historical Society have recently issued Special Publication No39 - A Short History of the Royal Marines (4th Edition) 1664-2012. The Editor is Colonel B.L. Carter OBE

Appendix P concerns Lanyards as follows:

Coloured Lanyards are worn on the right shoulder of Lovat and tropical stone uniforms including shirt sleeve order by all personnel serving in operational or predominantly operational units as listed below. These lanyards are not worn in blue or tropical uniform, mess dress or on combat or training dress.

Maroon - Commander UK Amphibious Forces Battlestaff
Green - Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade RM
Old Gold and Scarlet - 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group RM
Navy Blue - Commando Logistics Regiment RM
Navy Blue and Light Blue - Commando Helicopter Force
Light Blue - 40 Commando RM
White - 42 Commando RM
Red - 45 Commando RM
Green, Light Blue and Black - Special Boat Service
Light Grey - Armoured Support Group RM
Sand and Green - 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group RM
Old Gold and Rifle Green - 39 Assault Squadron RM

The following new lanyards are to be introduced shortly:

Navy Blue and Scarlet - 1 Assault Group RM (including ships' Assault Squadrons)

All Officers and WO1s wear a Navy Blue Lanyard on the left shoulder on Blue, Lovat and Tropical Stone uniforms including shirt sleeve order but not in Tropical White, Mess or Combat Dress

Recruits in the King's Squad (the senior recruit troop at the Commando Training Centre RM, Lympstone is titled 'The King's Squad') by custom wear a White double chord lanyard on the left shoulder in Blue uniform.


Mike

For anyone with an interest in the history of our Royal Marines, and wishing to join the Royal Marines Historical Society, the Honorary Membership Secretary is Mr J.M. Allistone - I believe his email is: boots.allistone@ntlworld.com

[JerryBB]

Royal Fusiliers lanyard, from a WWII period SD tunic, though he has his medal ribbons up so the lanyard might be early post war. It is a very dark blue.

[REMEVMBEA1]

I don't know if this will work but it's a passing out parade ar Depot REME and several men are wearing a white lanyard. I found this on a REME web site and no one on there could explain it. Any ideas?http://i75.servimg.com/u/f75/15/75/61/02/christ10.jpg

[Charlie585]

I reckon that it is a distinction for the day to mark best section in the training party.

They would have marched on together as a section no doubt but having been sized off for the photo they are seen split between the group in the image.

Just my opinion.

Regards

Ry

[wright241]

I assume that (the plain old...) white lanyard that my stepfather wore (post WWII) is still being worn by the Royal Artillery today? I recall him wearing it from Bombadier up to when he retired as a WOI. I don't have it anymore, but I am sure he wore the same type and colour up to the late 80's?

[grey_green_acorn]

The white plaited lanyard, described as White No1, 2, 3 and 4, has been and is today worn by NCOs and Junior Ranks of the Blues and Royals, the RHA on the right shoulder (as Right of the Line) by the RA on the left shoulder and by a number of Regiments in the RAC. (QDG, SCOTS DG, RDG, KRH). The lanyard is often only worn by certain ranks.
White No2 was/is also worn by the RAVC and I believe (briefly) by the Signals Platoon of the RGBW and by elements of the Royal Yeomanry and Queen's Own Yeomanry.
In WD/MOD documents from the 1950s onwards there are listed variously and often inconsistently the following:
White No1 CC1380 - RHG, RHA, RA, 4/5 RSF
White No2 CC1467 - RAC except 14/20H, Queen's Bays, 4H and 8H
White No3 CC1469 - Queen's Bays
White No4 CC1468 - 14/20H
I have three different versions in my album as A3, N2 and W1 but which is White No1 etc is hard to tell!

I would agree with Ry that a white lanyard could be worn by the senior or champion platoon when passing out.

Tim

[54Bty]

Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn

The white plaited lanyard, described as White No1, 2, 3 and 4, has been and is today worn by NCOs and Junior Ranks of the Blues and Royals, the RHA on the right shoulder (as Right of the Line) by the RA on the left shoulder

No! The white plaited lanyard is worn on the right shoulder by all ranks from Gunner to Staff Sergeant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery (that includes the RHA). The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery are the exception and continue (or should) to wear a plain white lanyard by the same ranks also on the right shoulder. It should only be worn on Number 2 Dress, although it has been seen incorrectly worn on Number 1 Dress.

Marc