Arm Badge Identification

[Andrew Upton]

Why if you are a RAMC medic having your photo taken in a studio wear a N/Derby hat ?. Borrowing one from the photographer ? I do'nt think so ( clutching at straws there ). Would you not think even if they did not have a hat they rather have their photo taken without one than with another Regiments.

Hardly clutching at straws - I've seen one account of a Scottish soldier having to borrow a kilt and various other bits of kit prior to getting his photo done as he hadn't been issued his yet.

Do you honestly think that when the men collected their uniforms from the stores the QM had no hats, come on, if you look at photo's of the men with their bundles of kit the hat was on the top.

Quite frankly yes - I've just been reading the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders War Diary for 1914, and the very last entry for 1914 reads -

"Boots and puttees: Boots and puttees have been drawn by the Battalion, as spats and hosetops

were apparently not available. In many cases the boots were not good..."

Not every unit got the kit they were entitled to until very late, sometimes until they were actually overseas or in a theatre of war.

I'll just ignore the facetious bit that's completely irrelevant to the topic at hand...

Just remembered one of my favourite books has a bit which I think could count as "Hat swapping" - George Coppards "With A Machine Gun To Cambrai", 1988, pg 3:

"During this time we recruits were still in civvies. We looked a most untidy lot and the conditions under which we lived didn't help matters. I was wearing a straw boater when I enlisted, but it disappeared before I left Stoughton. Being hatless was tantamount to a crime, and drew scorn and dire threats from every NCO I came in contact with. I was forced to pay two shillings and sixpence per week for the loan of a begrimed khaki cap from the company cook, a cunning old South African veteran.

...

However, the wheels of war industry were gathering speed, and soon issues of uniform and equipment were made almost daily. By the end of September most of us had uniforms, either khaki or navy blue. I was bucked at getting khaki, which menat I could give the cook his hat and escape his clutches."

Sounds like the sort of situation that would drive me to borrow regular issue kit if I was getting my picture taken and I was one of the unlucky ones in blue or civvies still.

[john gregory]

Hardly clutching at straws - I've seen one account of a Scottish soldier having to borrow a kilt and various other bits of kit prior to getting his photo done as he hadn't been issued his yet.

Quite frankly yes - I've just been reading the 2nd Seaforth Highlanders War Diary for 1914, and the very last entry for 1914 reads -

"Boots and puttees: Boots and puttees have been drawn by the Battalion, as spats and hosetops

were apparently not available. In many cases the boots were not good..."

Not every unit got the kit they were entitled to until very late, sometimes until they were actually overseas or in a theatre of war.

I'll just ignore the facetious bit that's completely irrelevant to the topic at hand...

Now then Andy, we are all friends now, are we not ????