Badge identification - yeomanry

[Bob Davies]

Courtesy of 'Dead Spartan'. In case it is needed

Edited Sunday at 18:05 by Bob Davies

[poona guard]

Thank you very much Max, problem solved - fully explains the mix. Any chance of a photo without a watermark so I can use it in the book - cheeky I know.

Brilliant and thanks again.

[max7474]

This is a better picture courtesy of the British Military Badge Forum.  

[FROGSMILE]

Just now, max7474 said:

This is a better picture courtesy of the British Military Badge Forum.  

Fantastic.  It closes the loop nicely with an ORs badge.

[max7474]

The photo is Post 1 is the only one I have ever seen of this badge in wear and seems to confirm that this is an OR's badge design and not just an officers.  The pre war photos I have seen of  RDY troopers have the single crown adorned by the lion without the scroll.  Bearing in mind that after consolidation with the  RNDH in 1916 to form the 16th Devons the issued badge would be the Devonshire regt's badge as seen in the photo, then it would seems that the period of issue was quite short.  My assumption is that this was a  regtl purchase and the former Yeomanry kept wearing it in the 16th.  There is widespread precedence of this type of thing in many other re-roled Infantry battalions.  I am assuming that the 2/1 RDY did the same and retained Yeomanry badges.

[poona guard]

Thanks for this brilliant photo. When the dismounted yeomanry were converted to infantry battalions they were officially allowed to keep their badges and only newcomers to the battalion had to wear the standard infantry badge.

[Bob Davies]

On 17/01/2023 at 21:25, poona guard said:

The photo was taken in France

Hello Dave @poona guard I am quite certain that the picture was taken in a place called Grammont, Belgium, early 1919. From their war diary WO95 3152-2 they are staying at Grammont taking baths and doing work there from 30-12-1919 until the last page of the diary 25-5-1919. The name St Catherines College is mentioned, so I had a look on Google maps and came up with this location for you. Vesten 42, 9500 Geraardsbergen, Flanders. It is impossible to get into the position of the camera man but the building is the same one, of that I am certain. I hope this is of help. Regards, Bob.

[poona guard]

2 hours ago, Bob Davies said:

Hello Dave @poona guard I am quite certain that the picture was taken in a place called Grammont, Belgium, early 1919. From their war diary WO95 3152-2 they are staying at Grammont taking baths and doing work there from 30-12-1919 until the last page of the diary 25-5-1919. The name St Catherines College is mentioned, so I had a look on Google maps and came up with this location for you. Vesten 42, 9500 Geraardsbergen, Flanders. It is impossible to get into the position of the camera man but the building is the same one, of that I am certain. I hope this is of help. Regards, Bob.

That is very impressive Bob, many thanks. I will put it in the caption.

[Bob Davies]

2 hours ago, poona guard said:

That is very impressive Bob, many thanks. I will put it in the caption.

I am pleased I could help Dave. Here is another screen shot courtesy of Google maps, looking up the street. The men must have been somewhere in the garden of the big house to the right which is behind the trees. I doubt much has changed in the last 100 plus years. The spire between the buildings in your OP picture helped no end, I have no idea what church it belongs to but had I not seen that and followed my nose, then I would have given up and took the dog a walk

[poona guard]

Appreciate your efforts

[Bob Davies]

2 hours ago, poona guard said:

Appreciate your efforts

Thank you Dave, anytime. I know it will help to build a better picture for all.

[max7474]

This is the Devon Yeomanry badge on what I think is a  trench cap and what look to be riding jodpurs so predates the conversion to infantry or is the 2/1.  It is the pre war design without the scroll so the adoption of the badge with a scroll seems to have been  1916 or later

.

Edited Tuesday at 12:05 by max7474

[FROGSMILE]

40 minutes ago, max7474 said:

This is the Devon Yeomanry badge on what I think is a  trench cap and what look to be riding jodpurs so predates the conversion to infantry or is the 2/1.  It is the pre war design without the scroll so the adoption of the badge with a scroll seems to have been  1916 or later

.

Great photos Max, it will be good to pin dates down.

[poona guard]

Great photo but what is on the back of the postcard?

[Bob Davies]

11 hours ago, max7474 said:

This is the Devon Yeomanry badge on what I think is a  trench cap and what look to be riding jodpurs so predates the conversion to infantry or is the 2/1.  It is the pre war design without the scroll so the adoption of the badge with a scroll seems to have been  1916 or later

Another good find Max. Can anyone tell me what is the badge on his lower left sleeve please?

Edited Tuesday at 23:11 by Bob Davies

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, Bob Davies said:

Another good find Max. Can anyone tell me what is the badge on his lower left sleeve please?

It’s a 2-piece Hotchkiss Gunners badge Bob.  Cavalry used the Hotchkiss instead of the Lewis Gun. 

Edited Wednesday at 00:06 by FROGSMILE

[Bob Davies]

51 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

It’s a 3-piece Hotchkiss Gunners badge Bob.  Cavalry used the Hotchkiss instead of the Lewis Gun. 

Thank you FROGSMILE, their WD  mentions them training in the use of Hotchkiss, quit a few times. Edit here; I have to look in the WDs again to say who and when. I never saw or realised that there was a badge for it. Though Lewis Gunners had a badge so why not Hotchkiss gunners! Up here for thinking, down here for dancing.

Edited Wednesday at 00:44 by Bob Davies

[FROGSMILE]

19 minutes ago, Bob Davies said:

Thank you FROGSMILE, their WD  mentions them training in the use of Hotchkiss, quit a few times. I never saw or realised that there was a badge for it. Though Lewis Gunners had a badge so why not Hotchkiss gunners! Up here for thinking, down here for dancing.

It was one of the most widely used LMGs for the Alliance powers Bob.  Hotchkiss seemed to have good production capabilities and the US bought a good many when they came into the war.  Like the Lewis it was sufficiently well liked to still be in use during WW2.

NB.  For the British Army and Dominion forces the badge was also issued in worsted cloth.

Edited Wednesday at 00:20 by FROGSMILE