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  #1  
Old 20-08-19, 03:17 PM
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Default Kitchener's Army Pals Battalion Article from 1942

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...hp?albumid=556

Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. 21, No. 83 (AUTUMN, 1942), pp. 124-128

I have uploaded a copy of an article on pals insignia from 1942 Edition. It does have a few errors in it such as the RF Jewish Bns badge (actually post war by the successor Judean Bn) and the Tyneside Irish and the Cardiff pals mis-id as a cap rather than a collar badge. Because it was published only 20 years after the event there were a number of letters which resulted in a second article by the author correcting some (but not all) of his errors using this information in 1954. Unfortunately by 1954 someone had given him the post war Frontiersman badge in gilt and enamel which was then mistakenly attributed to the 25th Fusiliers!

Unfortunately neither K&K nor Gaylor used this revised version and the mis-identification were published in their books in the 1970s.

If any one need s a better copy then pm me with your email and I will email the PDFs.

Last edited by Alan O; 22-10-19 at 06:18 PM.
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Old 20-08-19, 04:22 PM
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Thanks button - PM en route.
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Old 20-08-19, 06:11 PM
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Interesting article. Ernest J Martin wrote several similar badge articles for The Journal of The Society for Army Historical Research from which your article came.

Jon
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Old 20-08-19, 06:11 PM
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Pdf received, interesting stuff, thank you.
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Old 20-08-19, 06:16 PM
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I am slowly working my way through them. He was a man before his time when it came to writing about military insignia and his work on OTCs and VTCs was far superior to Kipling or Gaylor's writings.

The fact we was writing between the wars, during WW2 and into the 1950s provides a level of contemporary accuracy that is missing in later articles. In an era before the information age, he was often reliant on what he could gather from correspondence with museums, old soldiers and units directly. The fact that he did receive letters about his articles providing feedback and clarification is illuminating.

Alan
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Old 20-08-19, 06:16 PM
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Excellent.
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  #7  
Old 20-08-19, 08:14 PM
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It is interesting that EJ Martin confirms that Tyneside Irish cap badges could be found before 1954, and likely pre 1942, with a slider (described as a hook in the 1954 article).

I strongly suspect these were post-war commercially made badges as seen in the Gamages catalogues alongside the Middlesex Footballers, 25 Fusiliers 'garage' badges and the 18th Middlesex Pioneers which were clearly made for sale to collectors in the 1920s.

Last edited by Alan O; 20-08-19 at 08:23 PM.
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  #8  
Old 20-08-19, 10:15 PM
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Fascinating. Thank you Alan.

As well as mention of the slidered TI I was intrigued to see the much debated enamelled Legion of Frontiersmen badge make an appearance so early.
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Old 21-08-19, 02:38 PM
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Unfortunately the author has made the usual mistake of attributing the "Cardiff Pals" title to the wrong battalion i.e. the 16th where in fact it should of course be the 11th. I wonder if this is where the common misconception originated?
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Old 21-08-19, 02:55 PM
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A lot of early articles on badges in MHS Bulletins were used by other authors for subsequent articles and books despite the fact that the early articles were not without errors.

P.B.
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  #11  
Old 21-08-19, 05:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 41st View Post
Unfortunately the author has made the usual mistake of attributing the "Cardiff Pals" title to the wrong battalion i.e. the 16th where in fact it should of course be the 11th. I wonder if this is where the common misconception originated?
It was corrected by letter in a 1943 edn and the author's second article stated the error.

I have emailed PDFs to all that PM'd me.
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Old 21-08-19, 08:09 PM
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Thanks for the PDF Alan. Regards, Paul.
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  #13  
Old 22-08-19, 07:56 AM
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In a sense, you cannot blame Martin - and others - for not getting every badge right because there was no access to the volumes of the Royal Army Clothing Dept which contain full details of badges (etc) as they were only deposited at The National Archives (TNA) in 1989/1990. Museums such as NAM and IWM hold badge Pattern Cards though I’m not sure when they were on open access.

However, I can expand on the Liverpool Pals badges – based on the information above.

The well-known silver badges (assayed in Chester and London) were made privately by Elkington & Co in 1914 (if they don't have 'hall marked' they are not genuine). At the same time the 1st (unofficial) OR Pattern / badge was also made by Elkingtons. These were the brass solid cast (ie flat backed) with two NS loops. It is probable that officers’ SD bronze badges were produced soon after – at least one Firmin marked example exists.

In 1915 when the WO took over the provision of TF (etc) badges a new Lpl Pals appeared.
Incidentally, the Lpl Pals were the only one of the ‘Pals’ badges to have had a WO authorization and design (albeit derived from the Elkington design).

This 2nd (1st official) Pattern was sealed as 8520/1915. This was a GM die stamped badge with two NS loops. (the exact day and month 1915 date remains uncertain)

A 3rd (2nd official) pattern was produced as 9483/1917, sealed on 23.5.1917. This was also a GM die stamped badge with a ‘vertical shank’ (slider).

It should be emphasised that all (OR) brass or GM versions were specified by the WO to have a dark brown / bronze patina. (However, many were polished down or worn leaving a brass / GM sheen).

Secondly, only officers’ badges had a gap between the eagles’ legs.
This has led to an unnecessary confusion between officers’ collar badges and the 2nd (1st official) OR pattern !

I’m not sure when the Lpl Pals were disbanded (shortly after the war!?) but the badge patterns were officially declared obsolete on 10.08.1921.

Last edited by KLR; 22-08-19 at 08:02 AM.
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  #14  
Old 19-09-19, 06:32 PM
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An additional article about the Wandsworth Bns that were omitted from the original article.
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