Canadian Cap Badges

[wulsten]

Can anyone provide any info on these two badges and are they WW1 era ???

Smaller badge says 1st Depot Batt British Columbia

[laughton]

You will find our CEF Study Group collection of cap badges on the MATRIX here:

CEF Cap Badge Collection

That is the "Larry Will Collection" but it is not complete. We hope to find and photograph all of them so we can reprint John Meek's text with quality photographs.

For the smaller one, that is correct, it is a match to Babin 38-4, 1st Depot Battalion British Columbia.

Larry or Bill will know as soon as they look at them!

Richard

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The Maple Leaf & Crown is WW1 vintage General Service {Ie what was worn Overseas by most Canadians}

The other one looks to be a Battalion Badge of a Br. Columbia Regiment which would predate/date from the WW1 era,& would be worn within Canada IIRC

[wulsten]

Found the 2nd badge on the link list No38 but there dosnt seem to be any info about the unit etc, anyone help ?

1st Depot Battalion Britiish Columbia

[laughton]

There are others on the CEFSG that will have great detail on the Base Depots. You might want to check there directly.

Nicholson refers to them on pages 155, 222 and 229-230:

http://cefresearch.com/matrix/Nicholson/

It refers to reinforcements being held close to the fighting units for a less abrupt introduction into active operations.

Not a lot, but it gives you a start.

Richard

[wulsten]

Richard, thanks for that will have a look, Geoff

[high wood]

The maple leaf cap badge can often be found with the date and place of manufacture on the back, usually in very small letters and numerals.

[wulsten]

Had a look it says Robenbrost rubbed appears to date 1918

[Michael Johnson]

"Roden Bros." Made a lot of these G.S. badges.

[wulsten]

Cheers, can anyone add any detail relating to the 1st depot badge, i cannot find anything on the highlighted websites only a picture of one ?

[laughton]

I would try a posting to the CEF Research Study Group Forum (a sister group of the GWF) at this location:

http://www.cefresearch.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=15

Not all of the CEFSG members are GWF members and many have great cap badge knowledge.

We often send CEFSG members to the GWF as well, so it all works out in the end.

Some we also send to Australia!!

Richard

[Michael Johnson]

And a few naughty ones we send to Coventry.

[wulsten]

Cheers all

[Broznitsky]

The Depot Battalions existed only in Canada, later in the war after the numbered battalions had finished their recruiting. They served as joining and transporting organizations in each province, to move new enlistees and the MSA men to England. Once in England, the men would have joined a Reserve Battalion before getting to a combat or other unit in France/Flanders.

[wulsten]

noted and many thanks, Geoff