Guest KevinEndon Posted 29 September , 2006 Share Posted 29 September , 2006 Did soldiers or officers have their rank on their greatcoats or would they have worn something similar to a dog collar on the shoulders of their coats whatever rank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob B Posted 29 September , 2006 Share Posted 29 September , 2006 Officers certainly had badges of rank on their shoulders (I have seen red piping round the side for Infantry)and I have seen stripes on other ranks greatcoats. Cheers, Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulsten Posted 29 September , 2006 Share Posted 29 September , 2006 Kev, will forward portrait photo for interest, of an officer in studio wearing greatcoat with no insignia at all, hmm eh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Tom Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 Hello, For many years officers in the British army have worn two styles of coat. One, not often seen these days, with an official name something like 'officers long universal pattern'. These had brass buttons and were worn with rank badges on the epaulets. The other called the 'British Warm' normally only worn by officers of field rank (i.e. Majors and above) was worn without rank badges. They had leather buttons. While this is based on experience in the 50's and 60's I would be surprised if it was not the case in WW1. Old Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 I think you`re right, Tom. I recall seeing officers with rank badges on greatcoat epaulettes and not on those thicker warms worn by senior officers. They seemed to have an air of "No need for rank badges - you know who I am"! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 1 October , 2006 Share Posted 1 October , 2006 Coming away from the officers, did normal soldiers were any regimental I.D. on their epilettes of the great coat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walrus Posted 2 October , 2006 Share Posted 2 October , 2006 I'm sure that I've seen photographs of men in greatcoats, with shoulder titles (I don't know about those with cloth titles though) Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 3 October , 2006 Share Posted 3 October , 2006 is it pips or a type of collar dog on his shoulder. sorry about the lack of close up on his shoulder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 3 October , 2006 Share Posted 3 October , 2006 Hi The theory about the officers warms not having rank badges, and being for only high ranking officers is wrong. I have a 1917 dated officers warm with Captains brass rank pips on the epaulettes. Jonathan Also here is A British officer, as you can clearly see he has pips on his epaulettes. It also looks like a detachable fur collar on his warm. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 3 October , 2006 Share Posted 3 October , 2006 Also of interest from the same photo of mine New Zealand Rifle Brigade officers wearing, the name escapes me for some reason, Trench mac? Anyway, with metal pips and Battalion patches. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 3 October , 2006 Share Posted 3 October , 2006 and another single breasted this time with Captain's rank Jonathan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 4 October , 2006 Share Posted 4 October , 2006 And yet - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin hartshorne Posted 4 October , 2006 Share Posted 4 October , 2006 QUOTE (Phil_B @ Oct 4 2006, 02:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And yet - Thats just a rain coat his wife bought him for christmas not army supplies Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 4 October , 2006 Share Posted 4 October , 2006 Phil That is not a officers warm! as you were on about not having any rank, and only being worn by high ranking officers. That just like some kind of light dust or rain coat, it has no epaulettes so impossible to add rank on. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wulsten Posted 4 October , 2006 Share Posted 4 October , 2006 from the jacket and hair cut and the fingerprints on the branch behind the fellow i have identified this soldier as sgt frank ford and the shoulder insignia is the 8th battalion the royal fusiliers and yes i told you so. rememberedwith honour 1/7/16. see ya soon buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KevinEndon Posted 4 October , 2006 Share Posted 4 October , 2006 Hunting through a set of local soldiers I found this. It is none other than Sjt. F Ford 8th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 5 October , 2006 Share Posted 5 October , 2006 Phil That is not a officers warm! as you were on about not having any rank, and only being worn by high ranking officers. That just like some kind of light dust or rain coat, it has no epaulettes so impossible to add rank on. Jonathan What about posts 10 & 11? Is Haig wearing a non-epaulette civilian coat? Sorry to cloud the issue! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 5 October , 2006 Share Posted 5 October , 2006 I think that the "british officer" in Jonathan's first photograph is not "any old british officer" but the Prince of Wales. The meeting with ?NZ RB officers may be datable. Even though he was wearing rank badges there clearly is an air of "you know who I am". Maybe the attached fur collar was for "Greatcoats (Royal) Officers only" Julian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 5 October , 2006 Share Posted 5 October , 2006 I think that the "british officer" in Jonathan's first photograph is not "any old british officer" but the Prince of Wales. The meeting with ?NZ RB officers may be datable. Even though he was wearing rank badges there clearly is an air of "you know who I am". Maybe the attached fur collar was for "Greatcoats (Royal) Officers only" Julian It certainly looks like the PoW. Perhaps wearing non-regulation gear is a way of saying " It`s not correct, but it`s flashy and I`m so important that nobody can object"? Like Patton`s revolvers and Monty`s badges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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