Canadian Battledress with Belgian insignia?

[Derek]

Hi, I am a newbie to this forum.
A friend has asked me to ID his battledress and I need some help! My expertise points more towards British WW1/WW2 items and RAF.
The BD looks Canadian, i.e., different colour, cut and style to standard Brit BD, there are no identifiable manufacturer's stamps or date as these are washed out, just feint traces. The insignia I believe is Belgian, can anyone confirm this and tell me what branch of service it is and anything else of interest. The brass buttons on the epaulettes have a rampant lion and are marked EMTE GENT on the back, the BD buttons are brown/green plastic or bakelite.
Thanks for any help...............

Derek

[Battery Command Post]

Hi, I am a newbie to this forum.
A friend has asked me to ID his battledress and I need some help! My expertise points more towards British WW1/WW2 items and RAF.
The BD looks Canadian, i.e., different colour, cut and style to standard Brit BD, there are no identifiable manufacturer's stamps or date as these are washed out, just feint traces. The insignia I believe is Belgian, can anyone confirm this and tell me what branch of service it is and anything else of interest. The brass buttons on the epaulettes have a rampant lion and are marked EMTE GENT on the back, the BD buttons are brown/green plastic or bakelite.
Thanks for any help...............

Derek

I think we need a few more pictures of the thing to make a real assessment of the blouse itself. The wool definitely looks Canadian, but Canadian buttons are usually metal. 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade was under command of First Canadian Army during 1944, and this formation went on to be part of the new Belgian Army that was rebuilt after the war. So theoretically, there's no reason such a mix of Canuck BD and Belgian insignia shouldn't exist.

I will leave the Belgian insignia ID to someone else.

Rob

[Jerry B]

Looks Belgian, the lion on the buttons and the pointed cloth patch on the collars. Entwined staff and serpent is usually medical, though not sure in this case. No 1 is for the regiment. The colors on the patch don't match the examples I have access to, but they don't include medical. Infantry is red with a blue trim, so it might be 1st infantry regiment and a medico within that. Sorry I dont know enough about these. Any chance you can post pictures of the whole tunic?

The Belgian force in exile were based in Tenby and were issued British BD's, though with British type insignia and rank patches and just with a Belgian cloth shoulder title. Post war the Belgian army used BD's, though whether they were reused Canadian types or made for the Belgians, again Sorry I don't know.

[Battery Command Post]

Just a further bit of information that might be relevant. The 2nd Belgian Fusilier Battalion was actually formed in Canada (at La Joliette, PQ from Belgians living in North America) and transferred to the UK in 1941. it was eventually broken up with men going to the 1st Belgian Indep Parachute Coy and to units of the 1st Belgian Infantry Brigade. So again, Canadian BD would not be unusual.

I found this pic on the net. This Belgian fellow is wearing British BD, but the shoulder insignia is much the same if you substitute a medical branch badge for the infantry one depicted:



Rob

[stuka f]

Seems post war to me.
I did my service in 1979 and was one of the last one's to wear one because during my service year the BD was abolished.
Like bond said, it is a para medic within the 1 inf. regiment (linie regiment)

[stuka f]

Here is an overwiew of the colar patches as they were in 1950;no collar patches were in use during the war.As Rob pictures showes.

[Derek]

Here are a few pictures of the BD, the left inside pocket shows signs of having a label attached at some time. The left sleeve has two outlines where a shield shaped badge was sewn over a square patch.
Thanks to you all for the informative responses, greatly appreciated.
One last question, my friend would like to know a rough idea of the BD's value as he wants to sell it.

Regards,
Derek

[stuka f]

Post war, 10 euro.
Cheers
|<ris

[Jerry B]

Post war, 10 euro.
Cheers
|<ris

Certainly less than 20-30 euro. You see lots of these in Belgium and Holland where they are very cheap. Similar in value -or less- to most post war British BD's.

[Derek]

Ok thanks, but what period Post War? Is it a Belgian made BD or Canadian?
Cheers,
Derek