8th Battalion Hampshire Regt (Isle of Wight Rifles) - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

matti467 · #1 25-05-10, 06:36 AM

As part of my ongoing clean out and sort I thought it was time to look at these two badges. When I did so I was surprised by the subtle differences in them. Both have been blackened but the left hand badge polished/worn back to brass. The left has a slider and the right two rather battered loops. The brass badge has finer writing and the turrets on the castle are further apart.
It would be interesting to hear more about this particular regiment and its badges.
Matti

2747andy · #2 25-05-10, 07:10 AM

Matti,
this is a badge which has "Been Done to Death" by the fakers. Blackened badges are very hard to tell either way. I would not like to make a call on your badges from the photos, but the castle's Portcullis is always a good indicator, being less detailed on some copies!! Being a TF badge it should be slidered! (but as you will be well aware that's not a hard and fast rule!!). I have blown up the gateway and shown the thinner, crimped and slightly tapered slider on a badge I am confident is genuine! The Good ones tend to be quite concave too, but not easy to show in a photo!

All the best!

Andy

RMR · #3 25-05-10, 11:48 AM

Hi,here's some of my Isle of Wight rifles badges,the first white metal blackened with green felt backing piece belonged to Sgt.Woodyear.The one mounted on wood is on a dinner gong presented to Lt Colonel L.G. Brodie R.A. when he left the 428 HAA Regiment R.A.into which the Rifles were inducted in WW2.This being an artillery regt did not amuse the rifles and were not keen on RA badges so some who worked at whites shipyard produced their own which were chromed.The Rifles fought in gallipoli attacking the Turkish lines on 12th of August out of 800 men within the first 1000 yards half were casualties 300 dead the rest wounded by december 3rd the remnants were withdrawn less than 200 men.The Rifles did not get up to operational strength again until January 1917 in Egypt.They next saw action at Gaza in April of that year where an even bigger disaster awaited them "“The Isle of Wight Rifles went into battle eight hundred strong, at the roll call on that same evening only two officers and ninety men were there to answer" The last badge is the shoulder title for which I must thank AlanO who found it for me Thanks Alan.regards Roger

wardog · #4 25-05-10, 12:30 PM

Just something i've noticed on the 1st badge shown is that the small laurel leaves under the gateway are similar in type to those on duff 1st and 2nd lifeguards badges. Also not keen on the font used for the upper and lower scrolls.
Regards, Paul.

magpie · #5 25-05-10, 12:52 PM

Here's my chrome version.

Keith Blakeman · #6 25-05-10, 01:20 PM

Another one I have for the junk bin.

matti467 · #7 25-05-10, 03:33 PM

Thank you for the input and I was quite fascinated by the WWI tribulations of the battalion, I had no idea of their sacrifice. I sold a chromed badge many years ago on ebay. Oddly I feel that the second badge withe lugs is the better of the two beasties even though some points on the first badge are better.
Matti

crest-insignia · #8 25-05-10, 04:56 PM

To quote Andy, this badge has certainly been 'done to death'.

I have 6 examples in my collection, there are subtle differences between most of them. Out of the 6, there are only 2 that I can 'guarantee' genuine, and those are the 2 [1x officers + 1x OR's] which have come down through the family.

Isle of Wight Rifles - 'The Green Gunners'

REMEVMBEA1 · #9 14-01-11, 08:10 PM

Here's the one I have which was on a belt with several other WW1 examples.

RMR · #10 01-02-11, 12:25 PM

Hi all,just received these, never seen a collar badge before.Cap is I think NCO'S in silvered brass whilst the collar is blackened white metal.Roger

bewley · #11 01-02-11, 10:11 PM

I have one of the collar dogs in my collection, I bought it off a guy at Malvern a couple of years ago. He charged me a £5 as it is 'obviously a fake'.
Silly man!