Battle Insignia

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I have a picture of Pte D Urquhart, 44th AIF.

On each shoulder he has circular battle patches split horizontally into two halves.

The top appears white the bottom dark (B&W photo).

Can anyone tell me the colour of these patches. The picture was taken in England between Dec 1916 and Feb 1917.

Thanks

John.

[Andrew P]

Raster

Each unit of the AIF had their own insignia which was worn on the shoulders of their uniform.

The shape differed among the 5 divisions and all patches had two colours which identified that unit and the division to which they belonged.

I'm at work at the moment and can't recall the colour of the 44th patch, but when I get home I'll check, if no one has answered in the meantime.

Cheers

Andrew

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Thanks again Andrew.

Not many of us on the Forum at this time, just us at the bottom of the world, makes it more like a chat room!

I am quite interested in these patches, I wonder if there is a definitive work on the subject. I know of some post war cigarette cards and a book by Mike Chappell on the subject, but it seems to be such a vast subject. I am led to believe that some units never recorded any information on how they used these patches.

Thanks again.

John

[Mike_H]

The 44th AIF patch was a horizontally bisected oval, white over light blue. The oval shape indicated 3rd Division and light blue 11th Brigade.

Mike_H

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Thanks Mike

[Andrew P]

Just to add to Mike's response;

1st Division & 4th Brigade - square insignia's

2nd Division - diamond;

3rd Division - oval;

4th Division(12 &13th Bde) Circle;

5th Division - upright rectangle; &

the 6th division which never took the field - upright oval.

So each division had their shape and each brigade was given a colour by which they were identified. In regard to the 11th Brigade, their colour was light blue and this formed the bottom half of the insignia & and in turn the 41st battalion took black, 42nd purple, 43rd brown & 44th white, which colours formed the top half of the insignia.

These insignias became proud identifying marks of a person's battalion which can be seen when you have a look at some battalion histories which use the colours for the title of their history. Such as the 30th Battalion's 'The Purple & Gold' and the 28th Battalion's 'Blue & White Diamond'.

The following is from the 44th Battalion's history

"When colours were issued-the oval blue and white-"esprit de Battalion" became the dominating impulse in the lives of the individuals who comprised it, and this "second to none" idea lasted right through the eventful history of the battalion"

Cheers

Andrew

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Andrew

I seem to remember that the roads in Kings Park, Perth are lined with trees dedicated to individual local soldier casualties. I think I remember many with light blue and white markers, is this the reason? were they men from the 44th?

John.

[Andrew P]

Hi John

You are correct in that the trees are dedicated with memorials to the soldier casualties and many are indeed of the 44th Bn, though other battalions in which Western Australians served also had Blue and white as their colours, such as the 12th Bn blue & white square, 16th Bn white & dark blue square, 28th Bn white and blue diamond, 48th Bn white and dark blue circle & 52nd Bn white & light blue circle.

Kings Park is a great memorial though I don't get there often enough, the last two times being the last two dawn services for Anzac Day, so I will have to refresh my memory regarding these plaques when it is daylight.

Bill Bryson mentions Kings Park in his book on Australia and he wrote about one soldier casualty of the 44th Bn AIF.

Cheers

Andrew

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Andrew.

I agree, a wonderful place and what a view from the memorial.

[Andrew P]

Hi John

The view from the memorial is a very good one. Did you know that the cenotaph was designed by Lt-Gen Sir J.J. Talbot Hobbs?

He was an architect by trade and in the war commanded the 1st Division's Artillery at Gallipoli and in France in 1916. In 1917 he was then given command of the 5th Division and by the end of the war had succeeded Monash as Commander of the Australian Corps.

He died in 1938 on the way to France for the unveiling of a memorial.

Cheers

Andrew

[Guest Geoff Moran]

Volume 3 of Bean, "The AIF in France 1916", has a section showing "Colour Patches of the Australian Forces 1914-1918”.

There’s also a poster “Record of the Australian Imperial Force in the Great War” (no date, but not long after the war) which shows the same information plus little portraits of the management (from GOCs of the five Divisions up to HM King George V), as well as some of the contemporary medals and awards.