Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Early War Gorget Patches


green_acorn

Recommended Posts

I originally posted this in response to a thread at "Other" http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...?showtopic=3240 , but I think it is really more appropriate to continue it here in uniforms, so I hope you don't mind if I also include the text from the first post in Others.

cheers,

Chris

Extracted from a post March 1916 WW1, One Shilling booklet "Badges and their Meaning" A companion to "Rank at a Glance" produced by George Philip and Son Ltd 32 Fleet St London.

STAFF AND DEPARTMENTAL CAPS AND GORGET BADGES

An Army Oder was issued in March 1916, defining the correct dress as far as it affects Caps and Gorget Patches to be worn by Officers holding General, Administrative, Technical and Departmental Staff, and Miscellaneous Appointments as follows:

Any Officer holding any of the appointments in list "A " to wear the Staff forage cap, with peak embroidered or plain according to rank, and with cover of drab material, fitted so as to show the scarlet band, badge and peak (see image). They are also to wear the scarlet cloth gorget patches, with a line of crimson gimp as shown in the latter image.

A Appointments at the War Office

Asst Adjt General

Asst to the Deputy Asst Director

Asst Directors

Asst Director-General Army Med Svcs

Assist Director-General Army Vet Svcs

Asst Mil Secretary

Asst to chief Inspector of QM-General Svcs

Dep-Asst Adjt-General

Dep-Asst Director-General Army Med Svcs

Dep-Asst Director-General Army vet Svcs

Dep-Directors

Dep-Director-General Army Vet Svcs

Directors

General Staff Officers Gd, 1, 2 and 3

Inspector of Army Ordnance Svcs

Inspector of Med Svcs

Staff Captain

Staff LT

Sub-Director

Outside the war Office and in the Field:

ADC

asst Adjt and QM General

Asst Mil Sec

Assist QM

Asst to Major-General in charge of Admin

BM

Colonel Comd an Infantry Bde

Dep-Adjt and QM-General

Dep-Adjt-General

Dep-Asst Adjt and QM-General

Dep-Asst Adjt-General

Dep-Asst Mil Sec

Dep-Asst QM-General

Dep QM-General

General Staff Officers

Inspector of Arty

Inspector of Cavalry

Inspector of Infantry

Inspector of Reserve Units

Inspector of RE

Inspector of RGA

Inspector of RHA and Field Arty

Inspector of the Territorial Forces

Mil Attaches

Mil Sec

Staff Captain

Staff LT

Officers holding appointments that are "graded as" one of the above, and Officers "attached" to the Staff, are not to wear the Staff forage cap and scarlet gorget patches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Officers holding any of the appointments in following list"B" to wear a band of blue cloth round the cap (see later images), together with blue cloth Gorget Patches with a line of crimson giomp.

B Appointments at the War Office

Chief Paymaster

Inspector of Army Pay Offices

Munitions of War

Asst Director

Dep-Asst Director

Director

Staff Captain

Staff LT

At Home, at Stations Abroad, and In the Field

Admin Comdt

Asst Camp Comdt

Asst

DG Med Svcs

Asst dir of Army Signals

Asst Dir of Inland Water Tpt

Asst Dir of Med Svcs

Asst Dir of Ordnance Svcs

Asst Dir of Ordnance stores

Asst Dir of Postal Svcs

Asst Dir of Railways

Asst Dir of Railway Tpt

Asst Dir of Supplies

Asst Dir of Supplies and Tpt

Asst Dir of Tpt

Asst Dir of Vet Svcs

Asst Dir of Works

Asst Embarkation Command

Asst Embarkation Staff Officer

Asst Insp of Remounts

Asst Insp of QM-General Svcs

Assist Military Landing Officer

Asst Provost Marshal

Asst to Chief Engr (CE)

Base Comdt

Camp Comdt

CE

List B to be continued

Link to comment
Share on other sites

list B continued

At Home, At Stations Abroad, An In The Field

Chief Ordnance Officer

Comd Paymaster

Commandant Base Depot

Commandant Lines of Communications

Camp QM

De-Asst Dir of Inland Water Tpt

Dep-Asst Dir of Med Svcs

Dep-Asst Dir of Railway Tpt

Dep-Asst Dir of Remounts

Dep-Asst Dir of Requisition Svcs

Dep-Asst Dir of Ordnance Svcs

Dep-Asst Dir of Ordnance Stores

Dep-Asst Dir of Supplies

Dep-Asst Dir of Supplies and Tpt

Dept Asst Dir of Tpt

Dep-Asst dir of Vet Svcs

Dep-Dir of Army Signals

Dep-Dir of Inland Water Tpt

Dep-Dir of Med Svcs

Dep-Dir of Ordnances Svcs

Dep-Dir of Postal Svcs

Dep-Dir of Railways Construction

Dep-Dir of Railways

Dep-Dir of Raliways Tpt

Dep-Dir of Remounts

Dep-Dir of Requisitions Svcs

Dep-Dir of Stationery Svcs

Dep-Dir of Supplies

Dep-Dir of Supplies and Tpt

Dep-Dir of Tpt

More to follow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Badge and Gorget image from the booklet

post-6813-1138960767.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might as well post the main image of the thread now!

post-6813-1138982522.jpg

I shall finish of List B and C tomorrow,

cheers,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

list B continued

At Home, At Stations Abroad, And In the Field

Dep-Dir of Vet Svcs

Dep-Dir of Works

Dep-Judge advocate general

Dir of Army Sigs

Dir of Inland Water Tpt

Dir of Med Svs

Dir of Ord Svcs

Dir of Postal Svcs

Dir of Railways

Dir of Railway Tpt

Dir of Remounts

Dir of Stationery svcs

Dir of Supplies

Dir of Vet Svcs

Dir of Works

Embarkation Commandant

Embarkation Staff Officer

Garrison Adjt

Insp of QM General's Svcs

Insp of Remounts

Military Landing Officer

Paymaster-In-Chief

Provost Marshal

Railway tpt Officer

Sanitary Officer

Senior Train Conducting Officer

Staff Officer Royal Engrs

Train Conducting Officer

Officers holding any of the appointments iun the following list C to wear a band of green cloth with a line of green gimp.

C

Asst Dir of Gymnasia

Asst Dir of Military Tpt

Asst Insp of Recruiting

District Barracks Offr

Insp of Catering

Insp of Gymnasia

Officer attached to a Brigade for Musketry Duties

Officers attached to the General Staff for Musketry Duties at the Headquarters of Commands and Divisions

Officers employed on Recruiting Duties

Officers employed under the General Staff on Intelligence Duties at Home

Recruiting Staff Officers

Staff Officer, Musketry Camp

White cap-bands signify that the wearers are members of a Cadet School.

The End! Interesting that the Dir of Med Svcs didn't yet have their own gorgets and that the green gorget for Intelligence Officers were described as being on home duty only. It would seem Blue meant you were a specialist officer, no wonder they needed the plethora of armbands and brassards!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The other interesting point (although in essence logical) is that the Officers who were non GeneralStaff wore their regimental capbadges.

I seem to remember a post about a uniform which appeared to show an officer wearing both regimental and gorgets on the lapels of his tunic. Would this have been authorised for B and C Staffs?

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Greg,

I don't believe it would have been authorised. I would note that pre-WW1 the Australians wore unique gorget patches for most corps. In the centre of the patche they wore their small corps or regimental badges and at the end was a small Commonwealth Pattern badge. Like this:

post-6813-1139284381.jpg

cheers,

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Useful info, nice to see it all in one place.

Anyone know what the exact terminology is for the line of centre braiding? Its commonly referred to in many places as "gimp" but try doing an online search for gimp, woven, plaited or whatever. Either terminology has changed, or is has another "official" name within the embroidery world, which I know nowt about.

Chaplains were authorised to wear the Gorget patch, dependant on rank and appointment, [and still are] for Chaplains to the Forces 2nd Class and above.

According to my ever helpful source, the RAChD museum, these were authorised from 1915 and initially were black with a line of black woven silk 'gimp' and a black AChD button.

This may have changed to purple with a black "outline" [much like the shoulder straps for chaplains I believe] in 1923 but in 1927 they adopted the all purple ones they still wear now.

When I get some photos I will add them to the thread. I am told there is an unissued set in the National Army Museum.

ttfn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...