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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

BEF Insignia 1914-18


AndrewThornton

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Although this does not come under the category of Unit Histories, I would be happy to help anyone who has enquiries about Divisional Signs and items of unit identification (cloth patches on tunics, painted devices on helmets, etc.) worn on uniforms of the BEF (and British units serving in other theatres) during the Great War.

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  • 9 months later...

Andrew,

I'd be interested in any information about insignia worn by the 138th Brigade and the Battalions that belonged to it, particularly the 1/5th Lincolns.

Yours,

Steve.

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Hello Steve

During the Great War, the units of 46th (North Midland) Division did not wear the divisional sign on their uniform. Instead they wore combinations of coloured cloth patches and painted insignia on uniform and helmets. The known combinations worn by 138th Brigade, whose patches were all in Yellow cloth, were as follows:

1/4th Lincolns - Square

1/5th Lincolns - Square on its point (Diamond)

1/4th Leicesters - Halved Horizontal Oval, with flat top (like an orange segment shape - hope this helps you to visualise it!)

1/5th Leicesters - Horizontal Oval

These patches were worn on the backs of tunics, below the collar, from c.June 1916 and transferred to the upper arms in 1918.

The unit identification displayed on transport was the divisional sign (left); a blue square indicating, “first line transport” (centre); and the battalion insignia (right). Both the divisional sign and battalion device were outlined in white.

Devices on uniform appear to have been worn by officers on the back of their jackets, below the collar. This scheme was in use from the summer of 1915 by at least one battalion in 139th Brigade, (1/8th Sherwood Foresters), and consisted of two vertical bars in green cloth, but I haven't seen any evidence of it being worn by 138th Brigade in photos. By mid-1918, further devices were also painted onto left side of the steel helmets. The insignia consisted of a blue square with a yellow bar placed either below or at either side to denote the battalion.

I hope this information helps!

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Andrew;

Happy to cross-reference on insignia to machine gunners. A colleague in the MGC History project team is working on a monograph on unit insignia and has found some not generally noted in the usual sources.

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Andrew,

Thank you very much, that information is excellent. I hope i can return the favour sometime,

Yours,

Steve.

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No problem, Steve. Glad I could help.

Staffsyeoman, does your friend happen to have any information on MGC unit insignia for 46th Division? I have a copy of a photo taken in 1916 of members of 137th Brigade MG Coy. that appears to show them wearing a saltire (like the crossed machine-guns of the MGC cap badge) on the left side of their helmet. It appears to have been red in colour, so it is possible that 138 MG Coy had yellow and 139 MG Coy had green. It would be interesting to find out if their was any extant information to confirm my guess.

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