Help with cap badge identification PLEASE

[Blackblue]

Any idea at all of a name Celia?

[Robalong01]

I've been researching my Grandfather and this looks very much like the field artillery to me like he's wearing in the picture I posted.the slack looking hat was issued after 1917 so this looks from then onwards.

Rob

[Blackblue]

RA it may well be, particularly on this man. What concerns me is the width on the other badges which look more oval to me.

[Jim Hastings]

I bent an old capbadge of mine to see, and it does look those in the image Blackblue, but bet they got a roasting for it!!!

[JulianB]

The monogramme on the badge in post 20 is that of King George VI (=6th) who reigned between 1936 and 1952 !

[Blackblue]

Yup! But the one in Gaylor isn't. Slightly different scroll, but same general shape.

[celiatoo]

Hello,

In reply to Hywyn I don't know his address for definate but I can tell you that his Name was Harry Isaac Holmes, and he was born 1901. I therefore assume that this photo was taken 1917-18. I assume he was still living with his parents when he joined up and their address at the time was 70 Borough Road Birkenhead, they lived above the boot repairers shop they run. Hope this helps

Celia

[max7474]

The badge in the photo is the RA gun. It was the same for the RA,RFA,RGA and RHA. The RHA did adopt the cypher (their name for the little oval badge shown in Gaylor and seen by Blackbue) but only after the war was over. There was GV cypher made in very small numbers but it was not in use in WW1. The GVI cypher was worn post WW 2 as stated.

[Blackblue]

Thanks Max, Do you have a reference? Gaylor is unclear on the matter.

[FROGSMILE]

Thanks Max, Do you have a reference? Gaylor is unclear on the matter.

Reference: MHS Bulletin No 141 (Aug 85) by Norman Litchfield.

The first recorded use of the RHA cypher was on the Tarleton helmet which was in use between 1816 and 1827.

There after there was a considerable gap until 1926 when the Battery commander of E Bty - then stationed in India - introduced a small white metal badge bearing the cypher of KGV for wear in the solar helmet. On the King's death new badges with KEVIII cyphers were ordered and a small design change made. The new badges were very similar to the present RHA cypher. They were also made with a KGVI cypher. All these were unofficial and only worn by E Bty.

In 1938 the CO of 1 RHA approached the COs of the other RHA regiments to see if they would agree to adopt the E Bty badge. This was in fact agreed but not officially sanctioned. However embroidered gold wire badges for officers and white metal for ORs were unofficially obtained and worn.

In 1948 officialdom caught up with actuality and the cypher was authorised. For reason's unknown the official version was gilt/brass. However the only regiment to comply with this order was 2 RHA who were stationed at home. All others continued to wear the WM version.

Later approval was granted for the issue of WM ERII cyphers for ORS. The gilt officer's badge remained the official version until 1971 when the current embroidered badge was sanctioned.

3 RHA wear a red backing to their cyphers in memory of Ward-Gunn's VC.

Addendum: In his booklet on Gunner Pagri Badges (Jan 04) Norman Litchfield revised his findings. It seems that a new BC in 1934 ordered non-regulation badges to be removed in E Bty; but the cypher appeared to get a reprieve in 1935, for the records of Firmin & Son, who made the badge, have it listed as "a pagri badge for E Bty RHA for wear on the Silver Jubilee Parades" which were held in May that year. The badge was die cast in wm with the manufacturer's name in raised letters on the smooth back.The cyphers for EviiiR & GviR were similarly marked; thus it can be assumed that these were originally meant for E Bty before other units took to wearing a die struck badge.

[Blackblue]

Thanks mate, very comprehensive.