Liverpool Irish 1939 officers badge

[Peter Brydon]

A member recently posted that he was pleased to have finally acquired a genuine example of this much reproduced badge and I can understand his pleasure as it was a genuine example, I also think it is a most attractive item.

A well know firm of militaria auctioneers have recently put an example on one of their on line sales sites.

They describe it as die cast ( which it should be ) but their example appears to me to be die struck and the Gaunt mark on the slider on their example is unlike that on the genuine examples I have had. Pictures of a couple of these are attached.

Paying a lot of money for an item it appears may not necessarily get you what you hope you are getting.

P.

[Paul Spellman]

Good shout Peter
Fortunately it didn’t appear on one of their auctions when the reverse image is usually not available, although from the front it is still questionable
Paul

[Luke H]

I saw it too Peter and thought it very spurious.

The Gaunt mark on the slider is 1950s in date. Obviously the construction differs from known originals as you point out.

Would you know when these were worn until?

The large font Gaunt London mark is one collectors have to be careful with as it does regularly pop up on restrikes from original dies and occasionally fake die badges.

[Peter Brydon]

Luke,

Please see attached, from the horses mouth so to speak , the answer is 31/3/1967.

Fred actually had an example of the badge we are talking about that was given to him by Lt.Col. Max Morrison MC and bar, he won one MC on D Day and was a former CO of the Liverpool Irish. I don’t know for sure but I have always assumed that this was the badge that Fred wore as CO of 208 Battery.

As with many things , too late to ask him now.

Peter