British Army Badge Collection

**brickie501** · 08-17-2019, 05:24 AM

by Rick W

PS Never buy anything on eBay that has a Green or Blue or Red felt background. Just a tip

I'm thinking "they've just been pictured on one of those card tables"

I'm going to have to ask about that one?

**brickie501** · 08-21-2019, 07:21 PM

I've been on the lookout on eBay & at auction houses as I've long wanted a Princess Mary Christmas tin (there is one in the family but its gone elsewhere) …

One came up at auction not too long ago, with a selection of other items in the lot … I managed to make the winning bid & its just arrived!

Some of the 'extras' make nice additions to my British badges & other areas of my collection

I also managed to find the couple of larger GS buttons & a .455 Webley cartridge case at a car boot (which I've also included in the pictures).

Unfortunately none of the tin's original contents remain (the .303 case is from a 1942 dated ball round & not from a 'bullet pencil') & I'm not convinced everything that came with it actually 'belongs' - they are quite disparate items . But there are examples where the tins became storage for various keepsakes of the veteran or their family so its possible that is what this collection represents; although they span through to WW2, or possibly later, & even though they don't all fit inside tin! Some nice pieces though

Reverse of buttons etc for makers details etc:

Items, that haven't necessarily seen military use, which span from well before the Great War to, possibly, after WW2:

Anyone seen a lighter similar to the one above? It has no 'striker', just a wick, & so is a sort of cross between a 'Trench' & a 'Rope' lighter? Edit: Please reply here to avoid 'drift' on this thread

Also, can anyone identify the organisation represented by the Lion/Gryphon (ED Jones, Dublin made) or fish/'Sea Creature' (Firmin) buttons?

**Jerry B** · 08-21-2019, 08:31 PM

A nice tin and contents, mine came empty.

**Rick W** · 08-22-2019, 09:04 AM

Nice mixed lot mate , doesn't really matter if they were add ins.
I want that name plate , if you want to sell it .
Its of interest to me as they were a local Melbourne engineering co from the late 1800's
Famous for building water pumps & meters , but they did build stuff under contract during WW1 & WW2
See link below.

Water Meter - Davies, Shephard & Co., Melbourne, Inferential Class, Reaction Turbine Type, circa 1880

https://www.livingmuseum.org.au/proj...es_1939_45.pdf

Amazing really how odds and ends turn up on the other end of the world , i find that really cool

Cheers Rick

**brickie501** · 08-22-2019, 10:38 AM

by Rick W

Nice mixed lot mate , doesn't really matter if they were add ins.
I want that name plate , if you want to sell it .
Its of interest to me as they were a local Melbourne engineering co from the late 1800's
Famous for building water pumps & meters , but they did build stuff under contract during WW1 & WW2

{snip}

Amazing really how odds and ends turn up on the other end of the world , i find that really cool

Cheers Rick

It is cool isn't it!

Its a penknife BTW. I could see the Davies, Shephard Pty Ltd script in the (online) auction pictures & similarly wondered how it ended up here. Maybe the serviceman (if he were young during the Great War) or a descendent fought in the Far East in WW2 (I think its that sort of era?) & spent some time in Aus? … but as shown below, perhaps it should be "how did it end up back here?" … or "why didn't it leave?"

Now I've got my hands on it... the other, ruled side panel is marked "Chesterman Sheffield England" & the (remaining

) blade "Joseph Westey {?} Sheffield":

Still fascinating though!

Edit: I've created a linked thread in the Field Equipment area to avid asking my non-insignia questions here.

Can anyone help ID the two buttons bottom centre of the main picture?

**brickie501** · 08-30-2019, 03:55 PM

Integrating my new insignia acquisitions into my existing collection of buttons & badges (mostly newer stuff as said above)…

Sorry about the 'presentation'. Bit of a mixed bag but, up till now, generally collected because I've had some form of Service connection eg Glosters affiliated as an Army Cadet, REME as a Regular

**Rakkasan187** · 08-30-2019, 04:20 PM

A nice assortment of badges..

I have a few that I need to post for all to take a look at.. I had never known that these particular badges were also faked, but then again everything now unfortunately has to raise suspicion..

Smitty

**brickie501** · 08-30-2019, 07:09 PM

by Rakkasan187

...

I have a few that I need to post for all to take a look at.. I had never known that these particular badges were also faked, but then again everything now unfortunately has to raise suspicion..

Smitty

I know Smitty, its a shame & that's where this thread started.

Furthering my initial line of questions ... I bought them when I was young & foolish (& luckily they were cheap enough for display only) but I think my 'old style' REME badge plus shoulder titles are repros/fake?

The 'oval' capbadge is waay too shiny & I don't believe these should have a slider? Similarly, the shoulder titles have 'blocks' for the pin rather than lugs.

If I'm right, its fine as these current ones will finally go into a presentation/display piece but I would like to add some genuine replacements for my actual collection. Can somebody more experienced confirm I'm learning the correct indicators?

**Rick W** · 08-30-2019, 10:34 PM

Here is my REME badges to compare

Attachment 1335392

Attachment 1335393

Cheers Rick

**brickie501** · 08-30-2019, 10:47 PM

by Rick W

Here is my REME badges to compare

Thanks Rick! That's interesting & useful because I thought the (lack of) 'uniformity' of lettering might be an issue as well … but genuine ones don't appear to be perfect either.

I meant to take & post a photo of the rear of mine to show what I meant about lugs … but forgot - I'll rectify that ASAP!