British SD cap question..

[NCA]

I recently bought a half decent SD cap and ive got a couple of questions about it.
Inside it is marked with the royal crest and 'by appointment to H.M. The King and Herbert Johnson New bond st...that would make it pre 1952 right??thing is it has queens crown R.E. officers badge at the front and the same buttons holding on the chinstrap.
Would this be correct or are these buttons and badge later/recent additions?
I was hoping its a ww2 period cap with recent badges that i could replace...
Thanks.

[Adrian Stevenson]

The odds are it is completely original and unmessed with. I would not change the badge or buttons unless there is clear evidence of previous insignia being in place, such as fading, wear or old thread.

There is always a little bit of a crossover in time periods when you find "By Appointment" items.

Cheers, Ade.

[NCA]

Thanks Ade.Im just becoming more wary of things that have been messed with!Having studied it a little closer it looks alot the cap badge has always been on it as its left a slight impression and there is a slight bit of verdigris and dust behind it.
Does that mean that the change over from KC to QC wasnt immediate with insignia?

[Adrian Stevenson]

It is really a case of cap makers using up their labels and liners which still had the old "By Appointment to the King" legend. I think they could most likely get away with it for a short period of time during the change over to a new Monarch. They would later have to change to a new label with a new legend, as sometimes you find "to the late King Geo VI".

Wartime caps were certainly updated post war with new insignia. My wife has two ATS Officers SD caps which were updated with WRAC insignia (Kings Crown) one of which is a "Lillywhites" cap with "By Appointment". The chinstraps were replaced too with leather, but she retained the old cloth chinstraps which we have. It did see some wear post 1953 too with that insignia. (She has 9 caps all named to the same officer).

Cheers, Ade.

[NCA]

Thats very interesting Ade, thanks.So theres every possiblity that my cap just maybe ww2 period with later insignia...
Ill try and get a picture up tomorrow.