Royal Naval Division Machine Gun unit insignia

[Paul61]

I'm aware that the machine gun units in the Royal Naval Division wore a cap badge with the curved RND title underneath, would anyone know if they also wore the standard MGC cap badge? Also, what shoulder title was worn, standard MGC or RND?many thanks, 

Paul

[Sepoy]

I cannot help answer your question about the RND MG units wearing the standard badges, but I do have a 1918 period group photograph (mainly Army Service Corps) with one chap clearly wearing the RND Machine Gun cap badge. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say which shoulder title he is wearing.

Sepoy

[Paul61]

Thanks for that, a great photo shame we can't see the shoulder title but hopefully someone will have some further information on the subject, cheers,

Paul

[mancpal]

I'm struggling to see RND, it looks more like SND to me but doubt that SND exists (at least I've never heard of them).

 

Simon

Edited 15 May , 2020 by mancpal

[Sepoy]

1 hour ago, mancpal said:

I'm struggling to see RND, it looks more like SND to me but doubt that SND exists (at least I've never heard of them).

 

Simon

It is probably a trick of the light, when the photograph was taken, or it is down to the fact that this is a magnified enlargement of a small section of a larger group photograph.

The complete photograph can be seen on this thread (post 2)

Sepoy

[1RWK]

Good evening

I wanted to asked a couple of questions about the MGC RND if I may,

I see in the fantastic picture, the guy is wearing a lanyard, would that be because he is attached to the ASC, or did they have their own lanyards? if so what colour would it be? As a member of the MGC RND, which shoulder titles would they have worn? Did they wear a recognition flash on their arm? Finally, would the NCO's have worn Army or Navy rank insignia?

 

Thank you, I look forward to the replies

 

Wayne

[mark holden]

The lanyard was widely worn in the Great War. It had a number of uses for attaching a whistle or knife or simply sartorial. Colours range from white to light buff to a greenish shade of khaki. The lanyard did not denote the ASC specifically.

The RND Machine Gun Battalion wore a square patch of light blue upon which was embroidered a diamond inside of which was a fouled anchor. The embroidered part in dark blue thread.

As divisional troops the MG battalion would have worn RND titles.

[mark holden]

Here is an original a pair of RND MG battalion patches 

[FROGSMILE]

11 hours ago, 1RWK said:

Good evening

I wanted to asked a couple of questions about the MGC RND if I may,

I see in the fantastic picture, the guy is wearing a lanyard, would that be because he is attached to the ASC, or did they have their own lanyards? if so what colour would it be? As a member of the MGC RND, which shoulder titles would they have worn? Did they wear a recognition flash on their arm? Finally, would the NCO's have worn Army or Navy rank insignia?

 

Thank you, I look forward to the replies

 

Wayne

The Royal Naval Division officers and NCOs wore both Naval and Army rank simultaneously.  In the case of NCOs Army rank on the right arm and Navy rate on the left arm.  In the enclosed photograph you can see the two stripes of a corporal on the right and the mud hook (anchor) of a leading hand (seaman) on the left.

He also has three wound stripes, one for each occasion wounded.

In the case of officers rank was worn simultaneously on cuffs and shoulder straps.

Edited 1 December , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[michaeldr]

32 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Royal Naval Division officers and NCOs wore both Naval and Army rank simultaneously.

Correct. This link https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw96628/Arthur-Melland-Asquith? shows Arthur M Asquith DSO as a Brigadier General (note cap and epaulette) wearing the cuff rank of a Commodore RN

 

[1RWK]

Thank you guys, very interesting, 

[1RWK]

On 01/12/2023 at 06:28, mark holden said:

Here is an original a pair of RND MG battalion patches 

Good evening,  

Love the picture, would any of you fine people know where I could find a pair of these patches please? (Original or repro)

 

Thanks

Wayne

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, 1RWK said:

Good evening,  

Love the picture, would any of you fine people know where I could find a pair of these patches please? (Original or repro)

 

Thanks

Wayne

Both, ‘Hornbeam Militaria’ and ‘Blitz Militaria’ supply reproduction cloth badges (which they probably retail after securing from elsewhere (Pakistan or China I suspect):

1. https://hornbeammilitaria.co.uk

2. https://www.blitzmilitaria.co.uk/product-category/cloth-patches/

There might well be others.

Edited 5 January by FROGSMILE

[1RWK]

Amazing, Thank you

[FROGSMILE]

On 05/01/2024 at 21:15, 1RWK said:

Amazing, Thank you

I have found a retailer who specialises in reproduction badges to the original specification.  “Andrew Butler Insignia”: https://abinsignia.com

[1RWK]

Brilliant, again thank you