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Remembered Today:

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons

A group blog by Meurrisch and Toby Brayley in General

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About this blog

Members Meurrisch and Toby Brayley write a series of illustrated notes on the various late Victorian to Great War "Stars, stripes and chevrons" which were awarded variously for good conduct, efficiency, proficiency and re-engagement.

 

Cover photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.

Entries in this blog

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 1

STARS, STRIPES AND CHEVRONS Introduction. The purpose of this article is to describe the history of stars, stripes and chevrons worn on British Army uniforms in Victorian times and until 1919. Their uses as rank badges are excluded except where essential for completeness. A chevron is taken to be as the French word intended: in the shape of rafters supporting a roof, and thus with the point uppermost. Where the sides “right” and “left” are used, these refer to the wearer, not as seen b
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

9
The Past is a different country

Muerrsich's facts

I recently opened my fat box-file entitled: Miscellaneous. It had not been touched these last few years, and contains material that I harvested as scans, from Cambridge University Library and from various military magazines such as Soldier and Military Modelling.   The focus is on the period 1900 to 1920.   I will concentrate on facts and quote references: there is too much waffle regarding "this is the way it would have been 110 years ago" The truth is out there: the Vi
Muerrisch

Muerrisch in The Past is a different country

1

Rank and Appointment badges

Rank and Appointments for soldiers below commissioned rank in the Great War.   Introduction.   This series of notes will concentrate, but not exclusively, on the infantry of the regular army. In this context ‘regular’ includes all Special Reservists, all recalled Reservists, all volunteers in the New Armies, and, eventually, all conscripts. On 4th August 1914 there were nine rank groupings. The King’s Regulations [KR] Para 282 list them as follows [i, ii, and vii below w
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

0

Rank and appointment of Guards Junior NCOs

The badges of rank and appointment of junior Non-Commissioned-Officers (NCOs) of the Foot Guards in the Great War.   For the purpose of these notes “junior” is taken to mean below full sergeant rank, otherwise known as gold sergeant. The first step up from Private (“Guardsman” status was introduced immediately after the war) was a large and risky one. Lance-corporals (LCpls) had no security in their appointment, in that their substantive rank remained Private and they could be reverted
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

36

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 7

Chapter 7.   The Post-War years. Other than for the regular army, our information is scanty. In general, stars, usually of five points have been used for a wide variety of purposes such as Tank Corps First Class Driver worn above the tank badge right upper arm (Priced Vocab 1923) and then by Driver Mechanics, corporal and above, finally all Drivers (ACI 164/1950). The four-point star was used for a variety of purposes, most recently for Cadet Forces, and even as a half badge versi
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

10

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 6

Chapter 6   1914 to 1919, The Great War   The first major uniform change to concern this article is the virtual abolition of full dress and the stars, stripes and chevrons adorning it. With it went the various undress frocks and equivalents. The surviving uses post-war were almost entirely by Household units and regimental bands. To bring units to full War Establishment the regular army depended heavily on recalled reservists. Very soon it had to use the Special Reservis
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

0

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 5

1908 to Declaration of War 1914. Regular Army The Terms of Engagement for infantry remained seven years with the colours and five on the First-Class Army Reserve (other arms differed slightly, and the Brigade of Guards greatly so), but there was substantial flexibility for the army and the individual. Reserve service (usually Section provided half pay, and in difficult times many men extended liability for further periods of four years in Section D. Reserve service did not attract GCB
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

1

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 4

Chapter 4. 1902 to 1908. The Royal Army Clothing Department ledgers show that preparations were well in hand to supply worsted badges for the new Drab (often called Khaki) Service Dress (SD) introduced by Army Order 8 of 1902. The only unpreparedness was for headdress, not the fault of the RACD because policy was very confused for a few years after the Boer War. (There was a move towards gilding metal badges from 1907 but that need not concern this narrative). Chevrons for SD were iden
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

4

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 3

Chapter 3. General note. Many of the illustrations are taken from GWF threads, and many of the identifications owe much to the knowledge and diligence of members. Nevertheless, any mistakes are ours and we welcome corrections. Regulars from 1860. The Good Conduct Badge (GCB) qualification periods changed to 3, 8, 13, 18, 23 and 28 years in 1860 (Circular 629) and the badges were called “rings” until 1866, when “stripe” was used in the Royal Warrant. Terms of Engagement became
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

0

Stars, Stripes and Chevrons Chapter 2

Chapter 2   Good Conduct Badges.   The piecemeal adoption of conduct badges by regiments was regularised by a Royal Warrant of 18th August 1836, followed by a Circular Letter of 1st September, and by GO 526 of 10th October. The latter specified wear on the right arm, and a Circular Memorandum of 3rd January 1837 ordered “immediately above the cuff, the centre point uppermost”, with a pattern sealed for universal use. They were clearly simple heraldic chevrons in the correct s
Muerrisch

Muerrisch

1
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