N.S.Regt. Posted 11 August , 2004 Share Posted 11 August , 2004 Here is the second badge I mentioned in my last post on the 106th officers badge. For all appearences it is a eatons pattern badge with a couple of exceptions The badge appears to be Brass or gilt the only mention of a brass badge in this pattern is the 126th. The finish appears to be gilt no tarnish what so ever on this peice and it has a pin back so I would assume Officer. anothe point is there is no white metal overlay in the center it is a seperate applied peice like the others. I have had this badge for about 6 years and it came out of Pictou Nova Scotia and I got it from a good friend of mine who told me where it came from. So what do you think could it be a unknown Eatons Pattern. Best regards N.S.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnie Posted 11 August , 2004 Share Posted 11 August , 2004 Ref your Cap badge I think it is of a modern strike from the original stamp. I don't think it is guilt. All cap badges were issued in a similar state and the soldier had to burn and polish off the gilt effect to get the badge to shine. I assume you relate it being an officers badge because of it as a pin. Some soldiers badges had pins usualy those with a very large or very small badge. The quality is not good enough I would say, for an officers badge. If it is a modern strike of an old badge the stamp could have been an officers badge, but I doubt it Best wishes Arnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.S.Regt. Posted 12 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2004 Arnie A interesting view however I do not think it is a restrike why would they make it in two peices I know where the badge came from and it was in the area for quite a while. if it was a restrike why would they not go with a badge that is already listed. To my knowlege no 112th badge was ever listed in any reference I have seen other then the standard issue although I could be wrong. The Eatons Pattern badges were made for a good number for different battalions but were never offically adopted. In a lot of cases the officer badges and the ORs are the same I have never seen badge for the 40th and 64th Battalions that you could call officers the closest I come to one is a 40th battalion collar in a frosted white medal which belonged to Lt. Pickup of the Battalion but I beleive this to be a sweet heart pin. The only difference between the 112th Badge that was issued by for the battalion was that the officers had heavy silvered finish applyed to the 112 which is visable in period photos. The offical badge worn by the Officers was made by W.S. Brown who also made a large number of the ORs badges. For intrest I have included a scan of the official pattern officer badge I also have the matching collars which are constructed the same. Best regards N.S.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Alexander Posted 12 August , 2004 Share Posted 12 August , 2004 Again an interesting, and scarce CEF badge, NS Regt. I believe that it was an Eaton's pattern sweetheart / brooch badge. It is in the pattern of the badges made by Caron Bros and marketed by Eaton's. According to Harper in A Source of Pride, Badges of the Canadian Expeditionary Force 1914-1919, the pattern of badge illustrated was made for at least 39 infantry battalions. Harper quotes a Toronto Daily News ad of May 3, 1916: MILITARY BADGES AND BROOCHES, SOLDIERS' NEEDS, ETC., DISPLAYED AT THE CENTRE STAIRWAY, MAIN FLOOR Large Maple Leaf brooch, with local battalion numbers as worn by overseas troops such as 74th, 75th, 83rd, 204th, etc. Obtainable in gilt or antique bronze finish. Each ........25c. (Italics added by me.) From this ad, Harper has surmized that the Eaton's pattern badges were sweetheart pins (collar size) or brooches, cap badge size. Some of these were made with pin backs, and some with lug split pin fasteners. It would seem that you have added a 40th Eaton's pattern badge. Another maritime Eaton's badge: Copies of Harper's book are available through Service Publications. Look under CATALOGUE, and then under SERVICE PUBLICATIONS. Excellent resource that clears up many "mysteries" and bogus badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.S.Regt. Posted 12 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2004 Bill The Eatons badges I know of for Nova Scotia are 85th, 185th, 219th and the 246th like your great example first of those I have seen other than the books. Does the catalog mention the 112th battalion in their ad. I agree with you that it could be a brooch as it is gilted and definatly not collar size I have a official 106th badge done the same way. Thanks for the link I have seen at least four books I will have to invest in. Do you have "For Freedom and Honor" it seems like a intresting book and do you have "Buttons of the Canadian Militia, Army, Navy, and Air Forces 1900-1990". I was wondering if it has good information on the 25th officers button and the 85th Battalion button. Best regards N.S.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Alexander Posted 12 August , 2004 Share Posted 12 August , 2004 Hi NS Regt, There is no mention of Eaton's pattern badges for any other NS battalions than the ones that you list. They may exist, as it wasn't difficult to make the badge with a different numeral in the centre. As such, your example of the 112 Bn becomes a truley rare badge. There isn't much information about CEF buttons in Buttons of the Canadian Army . It is basically a visual catalogue, with images of buttons. There is some text, but not a lot of information. For the 25th and 85th, there are only images of brass buttons. Officers' buttons are in the same category as badges, as discussed earlier in this thread. They were usually private purchase and often the manufacturer simply plated or applied some other distinct finish to the existing issue. I don't have For Freedom and Honour yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.S.Regt. Posted 12 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 12 August , 2004 Bill Thanks for the information. The book on buttons was interesting but with only two buttons used by the CEF in Nova Scotia that I know of it does not seem worth ordering with that limited information. The one you mention on badges is on my must have list. Best regards N.S.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnie Posted 14 August , 2004 Share Posted 14 August , 2004 NS Badge The two examples of badges shown by Bill and NS Regt are no doubt genuine. Both have obviously had the old soldier treatment of Burning the badge with Metal polish and then Buffing to a high shine with polish and an old blanket. The original Badge in question as obviously never been issued for use by a soldier. Conclusions the Badge is either a Brooch which would seem likely from what we have heard or a restrike. Never the less I wish it were mine!!! Best wishes Arnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.S.Regt. Posted 14 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 14 August , 2004 Arnie From the add Bill quoted I do tend to think it is a brooch it matches the description. Since they would have to make a die they must have made more than one. So there could be 100s of these out there I can not think that they would just have produced one. It would be interesting if one could find a complete listing of the brooches made by battalion. I wonder if they happed to make 25th battalion ones. Do you collect badges yourself if so what do you look for. Best regards N.s.Regt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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