Rifle Brigade, unit or divisional patch

[high wood]

I have two photographs of this soldier from the Rifle Brigade, both pictures were taken at the same unknown photographic studio. In one picture he is wearing a unit or divisional patch. Can anyone tell me what it signifies please?

[Stebie9173]

Page 12 of Osprey's British Battle Insignia 1914-18 identifies the patch as that of the 2nd Rifle Brigade in 8th Division.

Steve.

[high wood]

Steve,

many thanks for the information. Do you have an idea as to when the patch was first issued?

[MBrockway]

Steve,

many thanks for the information. Do you have an idea as to when the patch was first issued?

Simon,

I'm also keen to get chapter and verse on dating when these various battle flashes began to appear - in my case those in 20th (Light) Division.

See these two topics:

20th (Light) Division, Battle Badges

Battle Flashes at Brigade?

In the latter, Pal Mike_H states ...

Re the date the scheme of flashes was adopted - I have found nothing to suggest that it was in use before very late 1917 or early 1918.

Elsewhere I read that 7th Division introduced a similar scheme of battle flashes as early as July 1916, and of course there's tons of other schemes detailed in Arthur's classic Cloth Insignia topic.

Three Qs arising:

1. Was introduction of battle flashes covered by an Army Council Instruction, AO or similar?
2. Has anyone got further corroboration for Mike's dating for 20th (Light) Division &/or a date for 8th Division for Simon?
3. Were these battle flash schemes introduced at different dates for each Division?

Can anyone help?

Cheers,

Mark

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Hi

I can't help with 20th Division but 34th Division were ordered to wear Patches whilst still in UK in December 1915.

The scheme adopted within the Division was as follows:-

101 Brigade a RECTANGLE

15/Royal Scots RED. 16/Royal Scots BLUE

10/Lincolns GREEN 11/Suffolks YELLOW

102 Brigade a DIAMOND

20/Northbld Fus 1TS RED 21/Northbld Fus 2TS YELLOW

22/Northbld Fus 2TS BLACK 23/Northbld Fus 4TS BLUE

103 Brigade a SHAMROCK, Brigade HQ personnel wore a GREEN SHAMROCK.

24/Northbld Fus 1TI RED 25/Northbld Fus 2TI BLUE

26/Northbld Fus 3TI PURPLE 27/Northbld Fus 4TI BLACK

The surviving Battalion Part I Orders for the 20th Battalion repeated

from Divisional Orders state:-

'that tunics, greatcoats and helmets will have battle patches

stitched on, and that the Battalion Quartermasters will lay in a

suitable amount of the correct coloured cloth to enable this to be

carried out'.

It is not clear however whether the patches were for

steel helmets or for the tropical helmet. In the 24th Battalion the

men were given squares of red gingham cloth with instructions to cut

out shamrock shapes and sew them on to their tunics, but the

officers received good quality patches made of thick red felt.

regards

John