Red tabs/cap band?

[dutchbarge]

Hello,

Would a RA(T) colonel commanding a regiment have worn a red band on his osd cap? Would his cap badge been a staff lion or an RA device?

Would the same fellow under these circumstances have worn RA(T) collar devices, or red tabs?

ANy difference if he was acting as adjutant?

Thanks, Bill

[Staffsyeoman]

Bill,

Simply - no. "An RA colonel commanding a regiment" would be a Lieutenant Colonel and would wear the insignia of the Royal Artillery. If you are on regimental duty - as opposed to staff duty - you wear regimental badges.

In the British Army, full Colonels are Officers of the Staff and wear the red cap band, red tabs* and the staff cap badge. They should also wear 'staff' buttons - the royal cypher in a circlet - but many officers would retain their regimental ones.

In WW1, junior officers of the Staff would also wear red bands and tabs - this practice did not tend to continue after WW1 and in WW2.

* Officers on 'the staff' in specialist corps/roles would wear coloured bands and tabs differing from red; green for intelligence; 'cherry red' for medics, yellow for pay, sky blue for the RFC etc. This has been discussed elsewhere on forum, a search should find it.

[dutchbarge]

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately it is as I thought. I asked the Forum for help with a recently acquired RA(T) colonel's tunic some months ago. The tunic displays full colonel's cuff rank AND RA(T) collar dogs. At the time I wondered why, as a colonel's tunic, it would not have had red tabs. As I have not been able to find ANY full colonel remotely resembling the name on the tailor's label in any of the Army Lists, I began to think the tunic a bit dodgey. You seem to have confirmed this. Oh well, one more for the 'wonky' pile!

Cheers, Bill

[Staffsyeoman]

Bill - check the Lt Cols, if one shows up, remove the extra pip and you have a Gunner Lt Col!

[dutchbarge]

Bill - check the Lt Cols, if one shows up, remove the extra pip and you have a Gunner Lt Col!

I must confess to not having heard of a Gunner Lt. Col. Could you please give me a bit of a defination? Did the Gunner Lt. Col. have 4 chevron lace and 5 gimp rings? Assume a star and crown on the cuff flap? Anything else to distinguish the rank?

Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

I must confess to not having heard of a Gunner Lt. Col. Could you please give me a bit of a defination? Did the Gunner Lt. Col. have 4 chevron lace and 5 gimp rings? Assume a star and crown on the cuff flap? Anything else to distinguish the rank?

Cheers, Bill

Any circumstances where a Colonel might not have red tabs?

I do have a pair of GRV red tabs........?

Cheers, Bill

[dutchbarge]

An instance of a full colonel who would not wear staff gorgets, red cap band or staff cap device would be a "Colonel of the Regiment", a rank normally associated with Territorial units. Holding an honorary rank of Colonel for the duration of the appointment the "Colonel of the Regiment" would wear the rank of a full colonel when attending functions in this capacity. As his only business is Regimental, he would wear Regimental collar and cap badges. The "Colonel of the Regiment" was most often a retired general officer (or non-military person) with special ties to the Regiment which bestows the appointment.

This would explain why my RA(T) colonels cuff rank tunic is without gorgets.

Please see the attached period foto of a RA(T) full colonel without gorgets, red cap band or staff cap device. He wears RA(T) Regimental collar/cap badges. I can't make out his ribbons but I'd wager they are pre WW1.

Cheers, Bill