The one that started it All ! - Page 2 - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Peter Doyle · #16 22-01-11, 09:38 AM

My father had been a POW in Germany, captured on the retreat to Dunkirk. He wasn't keen to talk about it, but did from time-to-time. I was intensely proud that my Dad had been through the War – especially as most of my mates' dads had been National Servicemen. Dad had served in the KORR, and to me, the Lion of England was always the peak of cap badge perfection. Trying to forget his service, he'd dispensed with anything that connected him to it - but I managed to scavenge an unloved war medal, a Kriegsgefangener ID disc, an odd German coin, some photos and a pay book (issued on his return from Stalag VIIIB, so pretty devoid of detail). This was not enough for a budding collector, so everyone of the right age was pestered for anything military. I got photos, paperwork, even the odd German trophy badge, but no cap badges! For these I would have to scour those stalls on Birkenhead Market that had cap badges and odd buttons. Those without sliders/vertical shanks, I would repair with some sheet copper, a soldering iron and my Dad's help. They are still pretty precious to me. So, the first badge? Can't be absolute, but that rubbed KORR and repaired KLR come pretty close - and I can't believe how many years I've had them. The bad old 'restrike' (so-called) years of the 70s/80s put me off for a while - but older, wiser, and equipped with resources like this forum – the collection goes from strength to strength.

appie_b · #17 22-01-11, 05:46 PM

The badge that started it for me is a SS skull my father gave to me when I was a child. This badge was a “war trophy” he nicked from a ss cap during the war. It was on mad Tuesday September 5th 1944, when the Germans had fled the town in believe the allied forces had entered Holland. My grandfather had entered the orts commandantur in order to remove any documents connected to his earlier arrest and my father had gone in with him. When the men were sorting out the documents his eye was caught bye the skull which he pulled off the cap and hid under his bed until the liberation.
I guess it is not the badge itself but the story behind it that makes it irreplaceable for me.

matti467 · #18 22-01-11, 08:57 PM

Mine first badge is in my 'bits and bobs' album. I couldn't afford a R Sigs or Tank Corp cap badge at an antiques fair at the old ice rink in Purley. I bought a Sgts arm badge for the RA.
Matti

Sonofacqms · #19 22-01-11, 10:33 PM

I found my Fathers RE GviR cap badge when I was five, sadly I must have swapped it years ago, but at the time it was my prized posession and went to school in my buttonhole.

One day after school I walked into my Grandparents pub and the draymen were delivering and having the customary pint after unloading. One saw the badge and said "do you collect badges?", naturally I said yes and eventually a small box of badges appeared.

RA osd, Intelligence Corps kc, Coldstream Gds pagri, Royal Scots, 9th Btn HLI, Middlesex Yeomanry, Suffolk osd collar, KOSB collar, Worcester osd collar. plus a few buttons, I was on the slippery slope which I have never managed to get off.

Peter Brydon · #20 23-01-11, 08:49 AM

When I was about 8 I collected anything military ( when I think back a lot of the stuff was what would be described as "army Surplus ", and a lot of which would now be classified as collectable militaria ) and like other members, I was given badges by members of the family and familiy friends.

Eventually the interest wained and everything went apart from the badges which were is an old cigar box.

About 10 years later I saw an advert in Exchange and Mart from someone in Liverpool looking for Kings Regiment badges and offering " very good prices ". I met the advertiser and he said that he was interested in buying some of the badges but would be prepared to offer some good exchanges. These inluded some scottish badges which looked very expensive and attractive ( yes I was very nieve about badges at the time ). The interest in militaria was rekindled and I joined the Military Historcial Society and started going to their Liverpool Branch meetings.

The Members included Graham Maddocks ( author of "The Liverpool Pals ") Bob Bragg ( co author "Parachute Badges adn Insignia of the World "" and an occasional visitor was Denis Edwards ( co author of British Army Proficiency Badges ").

I was hooked and shortly after started concentrating on collecting badges of the Kings Liverpools.

The most inportant thing I learned early on was never get rid of anything untill you are absoloutly sure what it is and even then think long and hard before letting anything go.

P.B.

matti467 · #21 23-01-11, 12:22 PM

Peter,
It is interesting what you say about collectable. When I was a mere lad in the 1970s my mate and I used to go into The Swap Shop in Croydon behind Surrey St market. There you could buy tin helmets, clothes etc all of which as you say are now 'collectable'. I also remember being in The Lanes in Brighton in the early 1980s when there were WWII tin helmets still in their grease proof paper and unissued up for grabs at a tenner each.
Matti

leigh kitchen · #22 23-01-11, 12:43 PM

Got a lovely mint condition 1914-15 Star in "The Lanes" as a kid - 2s 6d, if that, a brooch bar on the ribbon.

Years later research showed that the recipient was a 2nd Bn Mancs casualty of 20/12/14 & that the MIC showed a Medal Roll reference only for the Star - so looks like it was the only award of his entitlement claimed, & was worn by his widow.

Peter Doyle · #23 23-01-11, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

The Members included Graham Maddocks ( author of "The Liverpool Pals ")

Graham Maddocks was a teacher at my school, and led my first trip to the Western Front 35 years ago (gasp). I one hit him with a snow ball - which didn't go down well. Derek Sheard was my chemistry teacher, and he was building up his collection of infantry badges - I still have some of his swops. Some years ago I gave a lecture at the Merseyside WFA with Graham and Derek in the audience. Despite being quite an experienced speaker - I was still a bit nervous having my ex-teachers in the audience...
Peter

Sonofacqms · #24 23-01-11, 04:06 PM

Sometime in the early 1960's I went in search of badges, in town, I visited an antique shop where I was given the name of a local man who collected badges, having tracked him down, I arranged to visit his house and was duly driven there by my Father, I walked into an "Alladins cave of badges".

Having served for six years, the former CQMS was impressed by this array of insignia, Special Forces, Hampshire Regt, Suffolk and Cambs plus Fusilier Busby Grenades, all the line Regts and lots of Corps cap badges. He bought me some spare items and it went on from there.

I joined the Military Historical society in 1982 with the recommendation from Hugh King and have been addicted ever since.

Long may this form of historical preservation continue, thanks to the founder of the forum.

Regards Rob

leigh kitchen · #25 23-01-11, 05:29 PM

I spent some time as a kid in the cellar shop of Bill Tobin, in Balfour St, New Kent Road, London (he supplied flags, uniforms etc for the old tv series "Manhunt" back in the 60's or 70', I bought a German WWII lid, collar patches, British cap badges, an absolute treasure trove. I was in there one day & a bloke had brought in a Prussian Garde Cuirassiers helmet complete with parade eagle on top, Bill was very happy with it, showing me a newspaper clipping of one which had just sold for £500.

Graham Maddox wrote articles (including in the short lived "Photo War" magazine) on restoring pikelauben did'nt he?
Take all the metal fittings off, sandpaper the patent finish to get rid of any scratches or cracks, shellac it, polish all the metal bits & reassemble the helmet........all a bit too far for me even as a kid back then.

Peter Brydon · #26 23-01-11, 06:01 PM

Leigh,
Both Sonofacqms and I used to get things from William Tobin via his Roneoed list ( as advertised in Exchange and Mart ) and in fact Sonofa sent me some copies of his lists, which he still had, about 12 or 18 months ago.

I think I am right in saying Sonofa also visited his lock up which sadly I never did.

I remember one thing I had from Bill Tobin was a pennant as flown from a german tank,which I disposed of many years ago, I wonder if it has pride of place in someone collection today ?

Graham Maddocks article in restoring Picklehaube(n) appeared in an early copy of the Armourer magazine and I think they recently repeated it in an anniversary edition. I didnt know about the Photo War magazine.

There were some other short lived militaria magazines but I have to say I cannot remember their names.

Great memories from the golden days of collecting.

Peter

jeep · #27 23-01-11, 06:05 PM

I joined the Cubs in 1954ish and when asked by my 'Arkala', a nice middle aged woman, what my interests were, I must have said something about 'badges.' "Oh, in that case I'll see what my son has, he went through the war," or words to that effect. At the next meeting she gave me this SS collar patch. I showed it to a dealer at an arms fair a couple of years ago and he said it was a fake! The silver braid should be aluminium and not silver cord. Couldn't believe it. I know the German badge 'market' is rife with fakes but when did they start to produce them! Given the providence I believe it must be genuine, so if there are any experts on German insignia out there an opinion would be appreciated.
Went on to collect German stuff whilst at school, and then oddly enough, whilst serving 25 years with the REME collected nothing! I got back into the hobby when I discovered our favourite on line action site, but decided to limit collecting to metal cap badges for regulars (brass/bi metal) only, 1900 up to when they ceased to be issued.

Sonofacqms · #28 23-01-11, 07:41 PM

It's a familiar tale Jeep, the number of times I have been told by dealers that the badge or whatever I have is not "right", there is always something wrong with it, or if you want to sell it, "there's no call for these now" you can write the script, dealers almost willing to take those old plastic WWII badges off your hands providing they all have the blades on the reverse.

As for William Tobins emporium, 8th of Foot is quite right, Happy days . . !

Staffsyeoman · #29 23-01-11, 07:56 PM

My interest was piqued by the arrival of a registered package at the house in 1968 (when I was barely 7). It was my father's 'Palestine 1945-48' General Service Medal. I have no idea why it came 20 years late (he had been an officer, and I think they had to claim their own medals - Dad never mentioned anything of claiming).

The first badge I ever bought? An Ordnance printed 'Royal Armoured Corps' shoulder title. Cost? 15p. This in the era (mid 70s) when printed titles almost went out with the rubbish. Like plastic cap badges. Like single WW1 Victory Medals. And the world turns.... 25 years on, a respected dealer and friend agrees to put a printed 'KENSINGTONS' aside for me as I'm a tad short. His son, uninformed, with the lid of the 'retain' box open, sells it to someone for a tenner. Father did apologise, and undertake to get me one at the price agreed. Has been unable... Now?

leigh kitchen · #30 24-01-11, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 8thfoot

Leigh,
Both Sonofacqms and I used to get things from William Tobin via his Roneoed list ( as advertised in Exchange and Mart ) and in fact Sonofa sent me some copies of his lists, which he still had, about 12 or 18 months ago.

I think I am right in saying Sonofa also visited his lock up which sadly I never did.

I remember one thing I had from Bill Tobin was a pennant as flown from a german tank,which I disposed of many years ago, I wonder if it has pride of place in someone collection today ?

Graham Maddocks article in restoring Picklehaube(n) appeared in an early copy of the Armourer magazine and I think they recently repeated it in an anniversary edition. I didnt know about the Photo War magazine.

There were some other short lived militaria magazines but I have to say I cannot remember their names.

Great memories from the golden days of collecting.

Peter

Bill's little lock up cellar place was'nt too far for me to travel to, from down by the Old Kent Road gas-works, lots of lovely stuff there. I can still smell the cat urine & floral domestos type stuff. I bought a pennant from him, a cotton black white red striped one, I can't remember what it signifies offhand, & a mine pennant, & I went to get a German lid - he did'nt have one but he did have a 12 foot x 6 foot WWII German service flag, flaming great eagle & swastika on it (I was about 15, could'nt leave the place emty-handed).
Cost a few quid & has spent a few decades in a carrier bag in the garage, only being broken out a few yearts ago to be offered to the German au pair as a bed coverlet.
Well, I thought it was funny........along with pikelhaube.........

As for cloth patches, a particular stall down East Lane Market used to have cardboard boxes full of mixed div signs etc, I bought a fair few I would think, about 6d up to 2s each I think.