1 Pułk Rozpoznawczy - 1st Recon Regiment breast badge

[jamest8]

Good day Gentlemen

I wondered if you would be able to comment on this 1 Pułk Rozpoznawczy breast badge. As you can see it is made by GH Techn in London so would be an early example I think.

I rather like it - a solid looking no nonsense badge. I am going to post it in the Regimental Badge thread as I don't think this particular version is shown but just wanted to check that it is OK before I do.

What do you think?

All the best

James

[dastier]

I think it looks very nice but I am not an expert on Polish badges.

[prosty zolnierz]

quality not quite I would expect from Mr. Buszek , just an observation.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

These badges were not made by Gr.Techn, but rather in the regiment’s shops. By virtue of this ‘warsztatowy’ production they are they are in some respects less refined than badges produced by commercial makers. The parts used in the original badges invariably contain some crudeness. And this predisposes this unit’s badges to easier counterfeiting, of which this one is no exception. Very good fakes do exist, and in my opinion this example is one of those fakes.

Pictured below is a side by side comparison to a genuine example, which happens to have belonged to one of the initiators of the project to create the unit badge, Lt.Col. (later Gen.) Antoni Grudzinski. Although Grudzinski’s badge is the enameled officer type, we need only concentrate on the hussars helmet where the weaknesses of the copies becomes apparent. The base cross is replicated very convincingly in the fakes. But a study of the helmet reveals a softness of some of the finer details. The most glaring difference is in the helmet’s nasal bar. This is the first thing to look for in at least one of the fakes known to circulate.

Regards,
Tony

[Gary J]

Even the GR-Tech spinner looks dodgy ...
Looks like a recast off an original, quenched in oil to give the look of age ..
Thing is, the original GR-TECH spinners just suffer from mild age oxidation ....

Gary J.

[dorava]

Here is another one
a bit messy on the helmet details
and only slightly better on the "nasal bar"
Nonetheless people at the Sikorski thought it was ok
Or better said saw no problem with it
Still seems very weak on the details

[A.J. Zawadzki]

To my eyes at least, your badge looks OK. Again, being ‘field made’ these badges have less uniformity and consistency in the finishing quality. From what I’ve observed the OR version was not as well finished as the officer’s issue, with details of the helmet typically more muted and casting . Truth be told, I have only ever viewed a small handful as this is not a commonly seen badge. But I’m comfortable with yours.

Is the area behind the upper portion of the nasal bar cut out? (yes, believe it or not that’s what that helmet part is called - had to look it up)

A lesser known tidbit, the amaranth backing is correct to these badges and a nice bonus to have.

T.

[dorava]

thank you for the information re the backing...even though it looked nice...was never sure
and good to know the badge seems ok.
very sloppily made indeed..
the part indicated in your detail is exactly the same
best

[jamest8]

So mine is definitely a copy as evidenced by the poorer than average detail round the helmet base, the thick nasal bar and the poorly made spinner. Thanks Gentlemen some very helpful and useful comments.
All the best
James

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi again James,

Sorry for the negative assessment, but I would not say “definitely a copy”. Please keep in mind there is very limited available information. In my opinion authenticity is doubtful, but this is just my hunch and by no means the final say on the matter.

I checked the ‘Sawicki references’ and the first book in the series covering badges and militaria from 1918-1945 does label your type with the heavy nasal bar as a variant. The subsequent book in the series “Polish Armed Forces in the West 1939-47” pictures the same badges again along with one new entry, and this time your type is omitted. The books do have some known errors, and maybe this was an acknowledgement that a copy slipped into the mix in the initial book. Regardless, you’d be every bit justified in considering the badge as questionable until positively ruled out. Although having said that, if your badge was costly and the opportunity for a refund was available I’d probably try to get my money back.

Lastly, as far as the “poorly made spinner”, this interchangeable part is not in consideration when evaluating your badge, nor should it be with any badge.

Regards,
Tony

PS some fresh taken pics of mine. I'll post this one picture here and the balance on the exile badge thread as a record there. This badge was purchased in a state of ‘galvanic distress’ as it was taken off of a decomposed BD tunic that had succumbed to years of damp storage. Despite a light and largely successful cleaning some evidence of its former wet surroundings remains visible on the surface of the cross surrounding the helmet’s perimeter.