L.R.D.G capbadges

[max7474]

In my opinion nearly all of the cap badges sold by that seller is a fake. I recognise all the usual favourites and their flaws. The Yorkshire Dragoons has the worng rose centre, the 5 london cadets is not voided, the 11th Finsbury Rifles has the rogue flecks on the upper arm of the cross, I could go on. Some of the Line infantry could be ok and the HAC looks OK but the rest.......

Alan

[BrentNunns]

Hello Chris ,
many thanks for your reply ,
i have spoken in the past to two leading LRDG collectors about the `Jopling diary ` letter who have lead me to believe ,as they claim also to that this does not relate to the badge we speak of , but a variation on the normal NZ capbadge ,the argument ( i am told ) is backed up by corespondence with former members of this unit , if you can supply any more details on the book with the photo in i will buy you a very big beer ,
did not know about this book , very best wishes ,Michael

Heres some more pictures out of Brendan O'Carroll's superb book "The Kiwi Scorpions". Sadly now out of print.

[BrentNunns]

[BrentNunns]

An extract from "A Dedication To Brave Men" by Elva M Craw

If you were a member of the LRDG crew,
You had a land to fight for, and were steadfast and true,
You never asked the question you just obeyed the rule,
The strong never falter and the don't run out of fuel.
They learned the hardest lesson in the very hardest way,
That if one amongst them were to fail, the whole crew had to pay.

[BrentNunns]

"Quote"
ANOTHER PROBLEM..... i was told this many years ago by an old capbadge dealer /collector ,long since gone , that after the war he thinks it was 1960 the LRDG old comrades had a very big reunion bash and that a copy badge was made to be given out , so if this is true , which i do believe , these badges will turn up in an estate sale , in an old box with a few photos and his medals , and every one will consider it an original war time one , thus ,obtaining a badge from a vet is no proof that it a good,ern
sorry i am not trying to be negative but just passing on what i believe to be true.
ANY ONE GOT ANY IMFO on this old boys capbadge or is in touch with a form LRDG veteran and he can yes /no this i will owe you a very big favor



The reproduction reunion badges have a raised outer ring, as can be seen in the picture I have posted.

[BrentNunns]

Heres a link to an another original LRDG badge that a member recently picked up.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=206977

Brent

[BrentNunns]

I just found this one on a local auction site.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-co...451984.htm?p=4

Brent

[Ian adams]

LRDG capbadges

Dear members...
I am a rare contributor to this forum...and wish all kind regards to fellow members.
I was lucky enough to receive an entire collection of New Zealand LRDG items...including my specialty of cloth insignia. The cloth items now long since sold were without doubt perfect. Mixed with the items were combination LRDG/New Zealand cloth titles and single LRDG titles in cloth. Included with this lot were two user-worn cap badges in brass. I have to say ...these were in every way identical to the huge number of fake/local made/commemoration items seen in the auction forum or ebay. My original brass items had a provenance but to my word visually unseparable from the better copies that exist...and I have seen many.
In brief summary...I feel sorry for those who hold original items...feel sorry for those who are unsure and only hope history does not relegate the thousand to one 'originals' to the future textbooks on our subject.
Again all kind regards to fellow members..and...sadly lament that such a forum as this could have existed many years ago when original items were so readily available to scan. Yours Ian

[BrentNunns]

Also from The Kiwi Scorpions, "THE LRP LAMENT"
By C.O. "Bluey" Grimsey, December 1940
Written at the Citadel in Cairo, when the news came through that some members were to return to the NZ Division.

They wanted soilders stout and strong to cross the arid lands,
To pioneer the rolling dunes across the Libyan sands,
Where never camels trod, nor wog, nor Sudanese,
Where never brush nor grass can grow upon the great sand seas.

They wanted men who could, when wished, go short of food and drink,
Be left unshaven and unwashed, yet not so much as stink!
To stand up to the furnace blast of scortching sand and heat,
Which drives into your eyes and mouth, and blisters face and feet.

Now where to find these men made GHQ to wonder,
Till Major Bagnold came along and stole away their thunder.
I n-n-Know the men he cried, if you just give me time,
They come from one New Zealand, a land of sunny clime.

And so it was they got us, Tho' Freyberg, much annoyed,
Said, "why should bloody Pommies send' my' men to the void?"
However, now we'd started this we meant to see it through,
And soon convinced the older hands we'd thrive out in the blue.

No sooner had we shown them, than it was thought quite fit,
To let the Tommies have a go and leave us in the ****.
To go back to our units was all they told us now,
If you don't, there would be one holy bloody row!

So we'll go back to our units and fight in Greece or Spain,
Or any God Damn country, for preference where there's rain,
But dont forget when e're you read of scraps up on the border,
New Zealanders have blazed the trail, we've carried out an order.

[nbroadarrowz]

Now you can see it with your own eyes -
Trooper Alf Saunders (centre) displays his LRP badge on his Lemonsqueezer hat. The photo was taken in early 1941 at a cairo studio after he had just returned from a long desert trip, hence the lower half of his face is pale after his beard was removed. His battledress displays the early type New Zealand distinguishing patches and the brass NZ Mounted Rifles shoulder titles (NZ Divisional Cavalry) unoffocially worn on his shoulder strap. The picture was taken with two olld friends, Private Ashley Garnet (left) and private Bill Gallagher.
Photo: Alf Saunders (coutesy of Brendan O'Carroll's "The Kiwi Scorpions")

Hi All,
The NZ brass shoulder titles were officially issuied and worn in the early days of WW2. They were to be issuied untill stocks were exchausted. They were worn on both SD and BD.
I have a LRDG cloth title and 2 LRDG letters (from the estate of a deceased collector) that I will be selling on our local auction site some time, So start saving.
Barry

[BrentNunns]

Barry, you have my attention. Please drop me an e-mail when you list it.
Cheers
Brent

[teltec01]

For those interested here is a link to a web site dedicated to the Special Forces, including such units as the LRDP, . . . . .Gerry

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/browse.php