The lad was recently given these cloth patches from a family elder and I wondered if anyone had any idea. There might be a Rhodesian connection to them, given the history of that side of the family. Thanks in advance. Edited as the answers roll in; 1: 21st Army Group - thanks to Tom Canning 2: London District HQ Southern Command, post 1945 - thanks to MilitaryCross & Arthur R (via gmic.co.uk ) 3: Shoeburyness Garrison - thanks to Arthur R (via gmic.co.uk ) 4: 5: Trade Grade - thanks to MilitaryCross, possibly RA according to Arthur R 6: Military Staff, Ministry of Supply - thanks to Arthur R (via gmic.co.uk )
Thank you sir. He'll be overjoyed at that, he's only 12 but he knows his Overlord, Market Garden, etc.
I thenk yew! Any chance of a shot of that whole thing? Have a feeling the very posh "B" might be a related Polish or Czech one - Although in symbology it does look like a trades badge.
RA 1939-45 Trade Badges The whole thing was too big to photocopy so I did a couple of scans as attached.
#5 is a pay grade, denoted in English Script, A, B or C for trades pay of Baker, Clerk, etc. Check this website: Trade & Profiency badges of WW1 & WW2 Best I can do. phil
I like these threads No.3 Looks like a Artillery badge worn on a dress uniform above rank to denote Corps or Regiment etc. A bit like this worn on a No1 Dress Uniform:
Thanks everyone, across the web I've collected a pile of answers which I'm about to edit into the OP. The oddest one is the Trade badge as ID'ed by MilitaryCross, I imagine it might be an early version as it's craftsmanship is far better than the others being made of wire and felt.
Thanks everyone, across the web I've collected a pile of answers which I'm about to edit into the OP. The oddest one is the Trade badge as ID'ed by MilitaryCross, I imagine it might be an early version as it's craftsmanship is far better than the others being made of wire and felt. WNC - you may well be right on the age of it. I took a look in a book I have called Skill At Arms and details all the trade badges. Fine work. I did consider scanning the page and posting it. Maybe I can do that for you another day and show you the early ones there. Quite nice. phil
I'd appreciate that. It was the fine work of it which distracted me from thinking it was trades related, esp as I was searching WWII and they're typically printed by the looks of it. The only one left is the black/green/red teardrop, and I'm working on the angle that it may well be a national ID based on the colours of the related flag although I'm not sure if the order is bgr or rgb. I'm discounting the Pan-African flag because it's just too left-field, and the other African/W.Indies flags because they don't run in the right order. The only vaguely linkable flag is this one; Which is the regional flag of Aalsmeer in Northern Holland. Effectively I've worked myself into a very long avenue, which is starting to look like a cul-de-sac, but I don't know as I still can't see the end of the street.
Here's one of the pages I was thinking about, but there is another in one of my books with these like they are dress uniform types, which is what yours appeals to me as. Anyway, gotta jet as the kids say, cheers, phil