Rank worn on leather wrists straps

[REME 245]

When was the pratice of wearing rank on wrist straps introduced and was it just restricted to hot climates or could it also be seen in europe during WW2.

[grey_green_acorn]

Interesting question. I have this gilding metal King's Crown WO1 Royal Arms badge on a jungle green wrist strap which probably dates from the 1950s or earlier.

Tim

[engr9266]

During my time with the Royal Engineers the WO 1's (RSM etc) and WO 11's (SSM, QMSI etc) would wear these in shirt sleeve order during the summer months.
I don't know when this was introduced.
Jerry

[Drmiggy]

Originally Posted by REME 245

When was the pratice of wearing rank on wrist straps introduced and was it just restricted to hot climates or could it also be seen in europe during WW2.

I only started wearing mine as a WO11 in 1996 in shirt sleeve order as did all my fellow WOs. No idea when it first come in.

[REME 245]

I have a picture some where of my uncle sat in a NCO's Transit Camp in India in 1945 and they are all wearing wrist rank badges.

[grey_green_acorn]

Logically Warrant Officer badges of rank which were worn on the lower forearm of uniforms must have been worn on the wrist when sleeves were rolled up.

Digging into Material Regulations from 1966 (the earliest I have) to the current Army Dress Regulations provides the following information:

09.022 WOs rank badges worn with No 13 Dress. At the discretion of Colonels and Colonels Commandant of regiments and corps, WOs may wear, either a metal badge of rank on a wrist strap of the approved pattern, on the right wrist as authorised in Part 2 of Annex C to this section, or a worsted badge, sewn on the right arm of the jersey.

Warrant Officers and NCOs: cloth chevrons and/or badges attached to right sleeve. In some regiments/corps, badges of rank maybe worn on leather wrist straps.

Warrant officers’ badges of rank are worn on the right forearm of the uniform. In shirt-sleeve order they are in metal (brass, white metal or blackened) to match the colour of the unit’s buttons, on a leather band worn on the right wrist.

The attachments are from 1966, 1974 and 1984.

Tim

[Mike Jackson]

Totally unofficial, but officers in 95 Cdo Lt Regt RA when serving in Sarawak where, in Company patrol bases, shirts were rarely worn, had OG wrist rank made up - pips being simply a small square of some black material. I'll post an image of mine next time it turns up! Mike

[Postwarden]

An extract from my book. The Dress Committee's minutes would suggest that Warrant Officers were already wearing leather wrist straps.

Jon

In November 1955 the War Office Dress Committee agreed to standardise rank badges for shirt sleeve order, overalls and bush shirts to replace the many improvised methods such as armbands then in use.

Warrant Officers, Pipe Majors, Drum Majors and Bugle Majors who wore rank badges on the cuffs were in future to wear brass badges on an Ordnance issue leather wrist strap. New metal badges in gilding, white and black metal together with a new pattern of leather wrist strap were introduced by List of Changes in October 1958.