Pin back ribbon bars...how common?

[dutchbarge]

Hello,

All but one of my osd jackets have sewn on ribbons. The orphan of the collection has a pin backed ribbon bar ( DSO, 1914 Star, WM and VM (with MID cluster) ).

How common were pin backed ribbon bars in the British Army during WW1?

Cheers, Bill

[Nigel Marshall]

I don't know about how common these pin backed ribbon bars were in the Army during WW1, but afterwards my granddad was in a job in which he wore a uniform and he wore a pin backed ribbon bar on his tunic. There must have been ribbons especially woven for this purpose as the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal ribbons are combined in one wide piece as opposed to three separate ribbons.

Incidentally, the presence of the British War Medal and Victory Medal Ribbons would indicate that your ribbon bar is also post-war. The 1914 Star ribbon was distributed in 1917 but the other two campaign medals were post-war institutions.

Cheers,

Nigel

[dutchbarge]

I don't know about how common these pin backed ribbon bars were in the Army during WW1, but afterwards my granddad was in a job in which he wore a uniform and he wore a pin backed ribbon bar on his tunic. There must have ribbons especially woven for this purpose as the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal ribbons are combined in one wide piece as opposed to three separate ribbons.

Incidentally, the presence of the British War Medal and Victory Medal Ribbons would indicate that your ribbon bar is also post-war. The 1914 Star ribbon was distributed in 1917 but the other two campaign medals were post-war institutions.

Cheers,

Nigel

Thank you, Nigel, all very good points. I have on osd jacket that has a specially woven ribbon combining both the QSA and KSA medals in one piece of ribbon, similar to those you mention combining the 1914 Star, WM and VM. I was suprised by this as since I've read very few soldiers qualified for both the QSA and KSA medal I would not have thought that the demand for such a ribbon would be great enough to justify its manufacture.

Cheers, Bill

[Staffsyeoman]

Pin backs extremely unusual on khaki service dress (and might even be against dress regulations?) They tended to be used for uniforms where removal for frequent laundering was needed - such as khaki drill.

Interesting about the combined strip (makes sense) - I've seen BWM/Vic full size like this, but never a full trio.

[27thBN]

Most of the ones i have are pin back as such some with a complete trio in one ribbon

MC

[gnr.ktrha]

I always understood that O/R's etc wore pin on medal ribbons on their service dress, whereas the officers wore them sewn to the Service dress tunic. I am more than happy to be proofed wrong, as I would like to know the correct answer myself.

[dutchbarge]

I always understood that O/R's etc wore pin on medal ribbons on their service dress, whereas the officers wore them sewn to the Service dress tunic. I am more than happy to be proofed wrong, as I would like to know the correct answer myself.

If it is of any help, the only jacket in my collection with a pin on ribbon bar (all my uniforms are officer) was no doubt a post war addition as evidenced by the WM and VM (in addition to a DSO, cluster to the VM and 1914 Star). THe officer was out of the service by the time he put up his complete ribbon bar. So perhaps the pin back was post war?

Cheers, BIll