More Recce stuff

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, here are a few more Recce Corps items from my collection. The first is an Austerity plastic Recce Corps cap badge. These are now very sought after. (I will do a thread on plastic cap badges in the very near future )

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Recce Corps officers khaki beret and Bronze Officers cap badge, made here by Gaunt.

"Recce" were the first unit in the British Army to wear the Khaki beret. With the introduction of the "General Service" cap 1943, these berets became very sought after by fashion conscious OR's and Officers of other arms of service

[Adrian Stevenson]

"Austerity pattern" Officers Service Dress jacket. These were introduced in 1942 in order to save materials (no pleats to breast pockets, no bellows pockets to skirt, no cuff detail, etc)

These tunics were regulation until 1945 when the Ministry of Supply relaxed regulations and once again allowed officers to order pre 1942 pattern SD tunics.

The tunic pictured here is for a Capt.

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Hi Ade,

Again, what nice Recce Corps items

I love this stuff

Thanks from Jack.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks Jack. Glad you like them.


Here is the bronze officers collar dog, again "Gaunt" made.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Recce Corps button

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Good quality collar badges there too!

Can I ask if the SD tunic has Recce Corps buttons?

Thanks from Jack.

EDIT: hahaha I should rely wait for you to finish posting!

Very cool gear

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jack, beat you to it. You posted the same time as me

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

LOL!!! Hey, I'm in love with the plastic cap badge, it's one I need to get!!!

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jack, be prepaired to spend a few bob on one of these. I sold one to several years ago for £75...

I will add a couple more pics tomorrow

Cheers, Ade.

[Sal Williams]

heh, I just figured out what recce means . Who said old Sal was slow?

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Hi Ade,

Yeah sadly they are not the cheapest of cap badges

I bet they used to be thrown away not only by soldiers but by dealers a long time ago

"These plastic cap badges are an insult to the purveyor of fine and rare British cap badges" - Yes I can just imagine it now

The situation has somewhat changed now though - the most I ever spent on a plastic cap badge, was well, quite embarassing - actually I don't suppose it was that bad - £80 for a South Staffordshire. I have seen these for as much as £180 . I had to have it, unfortunately for my wallet .

And guess what? A week later one turns up at a fraction of that price .
I find these badges can occassionally be found quite cheap - I once had a Border for £20. Recce must be a very sought after one? All Airborne related ones seem to be? And it is crazy to think they were not worn very much at all were they?

Thanks from Jack.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Sal, nothing much gets past you "Recce" is a very popular unit to collect. Several of my friends collect Recce big time. One even has the prototype cap badges that were a "Red Indian's" head with war bonnet. Mega rare stuff.

The cap badge was often nick-named the "Christmas tree" due to it's shape.

Hi Jack, at £80 you did well on a plastic South Staffs cap badge. Hard to find. It is one that I lack.

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Last of my small collection of recce items, a Recce Officers bronze cap badge.


Cheers, Ade.

[leigh kitchen]

Beret.

G'day, I dug this out for a few photos just to add to the thread - a 1945 dated khaki beret, marked up:

7 1/4
KANGOL WEAR LIMITED
(WD ARROW)
1945

It has further markings of what look like:

Z
W (ARROW) D
866

Leather reinforced ventilation eyelets, no reinforcement etc in the badge area, it has the remains of a white cloth tab which was stitched into a seam but now lacks any print. The tightening ribbon has a khaki tinge to the black, as if scorched.
The badge has a slider which is "crimped" to fit the narrowness of the badge at the tips of the lightening bolts.
Unfortunately it looks as if the moths were flying Stukas when they attacked this one.