HELP! 4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment

[tynesideirish]

Lads or lasses, I've searched on here and I'm after an Other ranks capbadge and titles and Collars if worn, as worn by the 4th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment in the Great War. I'm at a loss what to get and what was worn and don't even know how to spot anything other than an obvious fake. Could any collector of this regiment please have a look on Ebay and DM me with one or more genuine ones (if any!) so I can get one. I don't want to risk it as they are for a specific birthday gift.

There's no rush but any help would be very appreciated.
Mike

[Phil2M]

I would say that, having just had a quick look, the examples currently on Ebay are all fakes.

[Sonofacqms]

I agree with Phil, of course there are two types of 4th Bn Northamptonshire Regiment found, one with 4th Bn on the plinth and one with a blank plinth.

A hard to find original badge of either type.

Rob

[tynesideirish]

Thank you lads. I'll make do with a standards NR capbadge.

[matti467]

I believe their Territorial Battalion went to India in 1914 so. like the Buffs and 4th Queens did not sustain the losses other TF battns did and thus need as many of their badges made to replace losses or help with expansion.

[NORTHANTS48]

4th battalion Northamptonshire served at Gallipoli and in Palestine and suffered many casualties.

[Alan O]

There were 2 versions of the badge:

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=166768


This one with blank scrolls and the one below with he battalion titles.

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ictureid=43830


The titled one is likely to be 1908 era. The Northants only had one TF Bn so it is not clear why the blank scrolled version exists although 4th/2nd and 4th/3rd were raised in 1914-15. It was one of the badges issued by the Army in 1916 and supposedly a brass one exists. It's conjecture but it's possible that these were worn by the 1918 Volunteer battalions (post VTC) as they would have been eligible to wear to blank scroll design. Whether they wore them or were still wearing the GS cap badge is unknown but it's a possibility.

The TF Bn wold have worn the standard badge from 1916 so that would be correct but as a purist you would want the titled one.

Good news the titled one has not been faked to my knowledge (unlike the Marsh blank scroll copy which can be distinguished as it has smooth rather than stippled scrolls). Bad news is that they are very rare indeed. You will likely not find one on UK ebay and if there is one then it is £100-150 on a dealer's site so the usual suspects will be bidding on it for their websites.

[tynesideirish]

Alan, many thanks for your illuminating input.