Metal badges

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#2

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#3

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#4

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#5

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#6

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#7

[Garth Thompson]

These are the badges that are in the collection I bought. Other than the tutorial PM Leigh sent me my knowledge of metal badges is next to nothing so any thoughts on these will be much appreciated. There will be eight pictures.
Garth

#8

[leigh kitchen]

Hiya, got to rush this but I'll try to do it as best I can;
Royal Army Ordnance Corps, c1947 - c52 (there was a short lived version different to this that was around for about 6 months during that period, had "Tonanti" on the bottom scroll, that's the easiest way of spotting it),
Yorkshire Carabiniers c1902 - c52?, the cavalry were a bit slow to start wearing cap badges as we think of them,
Royal Corps of Signals, c1947 - c52 (the design changed to just the figure ("Jimmy") with short scroll underneath & a seperate crown above, before going over to St. Edwards Crown as used by QEII. Have a look at the version without the wreath - the rest of the Brit army claim that if you view the badge from behind it represents a bloke shagging a German Shepherd).
The Wilts Regt, Duke of Edinburghs, c1898 - c'52 (apart from change of metals to anodised, the cypher was changed to that of the current Duke, Prince Philip),
Fusiliers Mont Royal, Canada, pre c1952,
Northumberland Hussars (Yeomanry), pre c1952,
Cheshire Regt, post c1922, still current in anodised & presumably newer versions of metals proper,
Devonshire Regt, c1902 -c'52,
Warwickshire Regt - Royal Warwickshire Regt, c1898 - c '50s, I don't think that this is listed in K&K as being sealed in anodised aluminium,
Duke of Connaughts Yeomanry (Lancaster?) - can't remember anything about them - no, hang on, is it one of the TA battalions of the Hampshires, or am I thinking of the Isle of Wight's? Bugger, can't remember,
Sherwood Foresters, c 1902 - c'52,
General service Corps, post c'02 Kings Crown, looks like smaller size so if it's got loops on the back it could also be used as WO Class 1's rank badge,
Seaforth Highlanders, c1890's until 50's when replaced by anodised, (also worn by commonwealth units such as Pictou Highlanders, etc),
A cast brass Royal Sigs? although a common enough way of producing "fake" badges, this sort of thing was cast locally in India, Egypt, even UK, to make up the numbers required. I've got a two colour cast metal one of these & a cast brass Norfolk Regt, bearing Indian or Egyptian names & WWII dated,
"Surveyors" trade badge. having said that, at least one regiment in India, in about 20's - 40's had their own version of a scout's badge of similar design (instead of the usual fleur de lis type design). I think that I'm imagining that the "S" is a little larger than usual for the "Surveyor" badge, but check it out. I would imagine that the "India" badge was cast rather than die struck,
ATS - Auxhiliary Transport Corps - covered in Ade's very recent thread,
Kings Liverpool Regt collar dog, post c 1922 design (different horse & style of lettering to badges in use prior to that).
Essex Regt - hard to tell, as I'm not looking at the photos now, a bit small & dainty, dirty bi-metal as used by other ranks, or bronzed finish as used by officers" at first glance the daintiness makes me think that its officers - I think that it's showing flat prong fittings, the lack of flag on centre turret shows post c'1902 (I think that I recently cocked up on another thread & stated that the version without flag was the pre c'02 version, my mistake),
Beds & Herts Regt, post c1918, looks like a dirty example of OR's white metal, worn up until change over to anod in about the 50's,
Middlesex Volunteer Regt - can't remember, but these were worn during WWI by the named Volunteer units, bronzed version was also worn by OR's,
Royal Sussex Regt - dirty bi metal ORs, or bronzed officers collar dog, design of cap badge worn c1890s - c 50's & change over to anod,
Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry, worn c1890's - c50s & change over to anod.,
Bays - Queens Own Dragoon Guards the 2nd (or were they Dragoons, always mix them up), c1902 - c1952,
Another DCLI,
Royal Observer Corps, pre c1952, can't remember when they were made ("Royal" - 1950? & the crown added to the design),
Army Physical Training Corps, is it c1952, ie anodised aluminium with Kings Crown? Or is it chrome?
Army Pay Corps - in use as a Broderick cap badge & as a shoulder title, c1900 - c1922 as a shoulder title, but for a far lesser period early on around 1905-1910 as a cap badge. I think it was 1922 that the Royal Army pay Corps was formed? Or was it 1924?
Lincolnshire Regt, c1890's - c1947, when "Royal" was crammed iinto the scroll,
I think that your next one was "RAC" in a wreath" - Royal Armoured Corps, design changed to a more distinctive & aggressive mailed fist etc, I think in 1940,
Suffolk Regt, c'1902 - c'52, note that the castle is the same design as the Essex - they were 2 of the 4 infantry regiments who had to change the design of their castles in 1901 to the standardised version taken from the Great Seal of Gibralter - hence the loss of the Essex's flag, & the addition of the centre turret to castle of the Suffolks,
Kings Own Scottish Borderers, c1902 - c'52 - there are various fairly minor variations in these, I think that this is a "short tower" version - depends on the depth of rocks beneath the towers, but I may be looking at it wrong,
The "BFS" (?) badge - dunno, reminiscent of the Army Scripture Readers cap badge that looks more like a trade badge design - is it anodised aluminium - that'd make it post c1952 or later,
The Rifle Brigade, c1936 (I think that's when they changed the design by adding scrolls etc) - c'52,
The Hampshire Regt, c1890's - c1947, when the word "Royal" was added to the scroll, & the Kings Crown at the top of the wreath,
Corps of Miltary Accountants King George V cypher, so c1910 - c1936 - these were the officers while the APC were the ORs - amalgamated (in 1922? I think 1924?) to form the Royal Army pay Corps - alias the Rape & Pillage Corps,
Old Comrades RN type thing - "X Class" submarines? I think I'm being a bit fanciful there,
Labour Corps / Royal Labour Corps, I think that this was adopted in about 1919 (1917?), & that they became "Royal" in 1947? badge worn up until about '1952, as Kings Crown, this looks like the larger of two sizes, the smaller being worn on the beret,
Another R. Sigs, I'm losing track from memory, but is this a smaller size than the others, if so the a collar dog, same dates as the others,
Honourable Artillery Company, c1902 - c1952,
Home Counties Brigade, formed c1958, disbanded c1968, this thing was worn by the "Training Brigades" that were basically a form of amalgamating a group of old regiments in a way. A number of regiments would be "brigaded", all wear the same cap badge, which was usually bland & uninspiring, but with their own collar dogs. There would be cross postings & a break down of regimental identity, or presumably that was the intent, a few amalgamations of regiments occur, &, surprise surbloodyprise, eventually the component regiments of the brigade all become one happy, jolly great big regiment of perhaps as many as 4 battalions, 'tho those started getting culled within a few years. At least the brigade badges died out other than a couple like the Fusilier Brigade one which was adopted by the new Royal Regimant of Fusiliers & the Light Infantry Brigade Light Infantry (reiment) & some others which continued in use by the TA. This Home Counties grouping became the Queens Regiment, with a new & better cap badge etc, they later became the Princess of Wales's Regiment upon amalgamation with the Royal Hampshire Regiment. Basically a series of badges (the Brigade ones) which are or were generally loathed by soldier & collector. Even the Brigades which spawned the "big" regiments - the Queens, RRF & the Royal Anglians, have all been whittled down to 2 battalions. A typically civilian view of how to deal with & promote the values of centuries old fighting formations - you can just tell that they'd have loved to just reapply numbers & a common cap badge for every unit, in fact they did start amalgamating within Brigades & numbering 3 regiments of the same name. I'm waffling, I only edited this post because I'd forgotten to mention the Home Counties Brigade. Anyway that's what it is, top of the sword above the saxon Crown has been snapped off, if anybody's still awake, on we go,
Collar dog of the East Surrey Regt,
The crowned rose, can't quite remember, is it blackened - Yorkshire Dragoons, a Yeomanry Regt,
Royal Engineers post c1952 officers,
Queen Alexanders Nursing Yeomanry, again post c1902, pre c1952 because of the Kings Crown, I've probably got the exact title wrong, the experts will know it,
That last thing has got me, I've seen it, I can't remember what it is - a school OTC badge, just can't remember.
many of the infantry badges never actually made it into anodised metals for the regular battalions, as they wer rebadges as Training Brigades & often amalgamated with other regiments within the brigade, but the TA battalions would still be left perhaps with the old regimental identity & the old pattern cap badges, some issued in anodised aluminium. Other regular infantry pattern cap badges appear to have been produced in anod. but never worn by anybody.
The majority of these badges in the photos look genuine to me, & the others I can't tell - there's nothing that's shrieking "fake" at me, it's just not possible for me to be sure from the photos, so I'm not denouncing anything as even doubtful, let alone fake.
Sorry for rattling off a load of half answers, but I'm in a hurry & there's a load to remember from rough notes made while looking at the photos, so there's probably quite a bit more could be added from a good look at the photos & a few checks of the books.
It's bugging me now that I can't remember that last flaming badge now.......

[leigh kitchen]

Forgot to say that it's hard to make out the colour of some of the metals eg the DCLI with loop fittings - if it's brass instead of white metal, then it's c1916 - c1919 WWI brass economy issue, same goes for a few of the others.
There are some nice badges there, things like the Corps of Accountants, the Yorkshire Carabiniers, not exactly rare, but uncommon enough, a group worth building on, either in general or picking a theme such as regular line infantry of a particular period.
Sit back & wait for people to correct & fine tune what I've said.
What is that last thing, is it a modern amalgamation of yeomanry regiments?

[leigh kitchen]

That "BFS" in a wreath is bugging me - it's reminiscent of "Control Commission Germany". "British Forces Services"? "British Forces Security"? An immediate post war something or other like CCG?
And I think that weird eagle & arm badge is Canadian (if not I'll go New Zealand or possibly Australian).
I like this group of badges, a lot of straightforward jobs with a few right
$@%$%******s to try & work out.

Duke of Connaughts Royal Canadian Hussars?

[Jim Maclean]

The RNXS badge is the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, formed from the Minewatching Service. It was disbanded in 1994.

Still working on the others.

[Jim Maclean]

Photo No8 bottom left, I think is Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps. I think though that it's a collar badge. What is the inscription around the badge?

The BFS badge may not be a military badge. The best I can come up with at the moment is the British Flute Society .

Jim

[Adam H]

The last badge is indeed the 6th Duke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars, from Montreal, Quebec. Looks to be approx WWII period, but would have to do some checking.

Cheers,

Adam

[Marc Sherriff]

BFS = British Frontier Service, small group of British and German civilians (ex-service) who patrolled the West / East Border amongst other things. VERY hard to find badge.