Shoulder badge identification.

[copper]

Hi,

    I bought a pair of shoulder badges at a Collector's Fair yesterday and was hoping for some member assistance in identifying which units may have worn them. I have not seen a single 'T' before. Most TF shoulder badges I have seen are generally bigger with the 'T' above a larger badge. Any help would be appreciated.   

[FROGSMILE]

It is a constituent part of a TF shoulder title as instituted after formation in 1908.  As well as joined together versions there were the separate parts.  They were manufactured and issued to ordnance stores separately, and subsequently joined together.  If you look, each item, T - number - and abbreviated unit title had means for fixing, generally one or more loops.  They could be fitted separately by fixing through a single backing plate with cotter pins, which was sufficient to hold the whole together.  Instead it was found more convenient to braze the items together locally.  In regular units it was laid down by clothing regulations that fitting insignia was the responsibility of the battalion armourer sergeant, who was paid a laid down piece rate for his trouble (his post was especially well paid).  Whether it was the same in TF units I do not know, but clearly a great many were fixed together without too much trouble.  At a later stage shoulder titles were manufactured already joined together.  After 1916 and the introduction of conscription large TF titles began to be replaced by cloth versions using worsted thread on a drab khaki or sometimes coloured backing cloth.

 

NB. Clothing Regulations and Royal Pay Warrant refer.

 

 

 

Edited 19 May , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[copper]

Thanks for your quick reply. So can I assume that there were no Units that wore the 'T' on it's own?

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, copper said:

Thanks for your quick reply. So can I assume that there were no Units that wore the 'T' on it's own?

 

No, but a much smaller T in bronze metal and without serifs was used and placed directly beneath TF officers collar badges.  The enclosed colour image shows the shape used for collars but are of a larger size and in gilding metal.

 

Photo courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. 

 

Edited 19 May , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[copper]

 Thank you very much for all the information. I did, in fact, buy 3 sets together and all identical. They have, presumably, come from some Unit's unissued or unused batch? They are all in very good condition.

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, copper said:

 Thank you very much for all the information. I did, in fact, buy 3 sets together and all identical. They have, presumably, come from some Unit's unissued or unused batch? They are all in very good condition.

 

Yes, I suspect that they sat in a store somewhere.  After the change over to T without serifs and then cloth titles there would inevitably have been some obsolescent stock in the supply chain.