Strange Middlesex badge

[badger123]

Just to throw another example of a similar OR's bronzed badge into the mix.....

I've had this WW1 era OR's badge (oblong sweat hole behind the Coronet with 4 smaller circular sweat holes behind the rose) for a while and always believed it is a converted OR's to officer's badge.

Its definitely not a dirty badge or patina that's caused the brown colouring, its not painted but some sort of process thats 'bronzed' the badge and seems exactly the same colouring as the Middlesex badge in Rob's original post at the start of this thread.

For me, its an OR's badge that's been changed to look like an officers badge. Whether its an OR that has had their own badge coloured after being commissioned or whether its deliberately manufactured as a 'cheap' officers badge from an OR's badge, I don't know.

Ivan

[cbuehler]

I agree that this one does appear to be bronzed, even the slider. The only problem is the officer badge was of an entirely different design.
Can't imagine what is going on here.

CB

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by KLR

Toby, I think that Peter Brydon (?) was referring to the 1939 Lpl Irish officers' cabeen badge. The first ones were in solid silver - with loops. The later products were almost universally with sliders (usually with a Gaunt stamp). I heard that officer's could choose fixings - including sliders!

See an array of these Lpl Irish badges (minus the HMS !) with only two or three with loops. The badge to the lacuna is a poor item but the one to the right of the lacuna is a unmarked silver, fretted and loops

I noted earlier that NCOs commissioned in the field that they immediately painted their badges with brown paint ! I'VE BEEN TOLD OFF FOR THIS......... (above)


I believe that Dress Regs were ignored when there was a war on....

Thank you for taking the time to reply KLR. I agree with your final comment about dress regulations and you give a good example concerning the Liverpool Irish Insignia. I must admit I didn’t have the special TF unit badges, nor any of the war raised Pals in mind, but just the badges of the regular army and the specifications for their manufacture in officers service dress bronze as laid down in 1902. I know that both cap and collar insignia specifications were laid down as Colin Churchill and other published collectors mentioned it, but I don’t know where the details can be found. Presumably JR Gaunt, Firmin, and other companies have archival records. I’m keen to learn if there ever were officially approved slider variants for the OSD insignia, but I’ve never seen any such badges and all have had either loops or blades.