Canadian Artillery Pencil Case

[Battery Command Post]

This might be a long shot, but I wonder if the Polish badge experts here might have some ideas about a badge that used to be attached to this item.



Its basically a home-made pencil case, made from a vehicle map case, which has been cut up and sewn around a piece of board. It was used (and made) by a CP ‘ack’ from the 5th Field Regt, Royal Canadian Artillery, to hold pencils, rulers, protractors and the like for use on an artillery board.

On the lower left is an outline of a badge that used to be pinned to the ruler slot. The shape looks to me like a standard Polish cap badge, but quite small and with two north/south fasteners, or a pin holding it on. What badge was it likely to have been?



Dimensions are:
Overall height about 40mm
Wingtip to wingtip about 20mm
Top of head to bottom of shield about 38mm
Width of shield about 30mm

This isn't as crazy as it might seem. The Gunner in question was a Warsaw born Polish-Canadian, who actually joined the British Dorsetshire Regiment in WWI (I believe he was a student there) and joined the Royal Canadian Artillery for WW2, serving as a CPOA/GPOA. Being part of First Canadian Army, I suppose he could have got a badge from the Polish units serving in that formation but, of course it could be from another source entirely. So any ideas? It could be a issue badge or a souvenir/sweetheart type, I don't know.

If I can identify exactly which badge it was, I think it might be nice to try to replace it.

Any thoughts welcome

Rob

[talltom]

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/polis...p-eagles-1980/
take your pick
i think its a ww2 polish artillery Rogatywka cap badge

tom

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi Robert, Both you and Talltom are correct. It appears to be a Polish hat eagle badge. 40mm height makes it the smaller type eagle typically found on FS and GS caps along with berets (although the larger type was also used on these caps). The two holes in the case suggest either an early war French made eagle which were fitted with a wire prong fastening (pictured below), or possibly a later war eagle modified with a wire soldered in place which was a common repair method where the original fastening was damaged.

One small correction to Talltom’s reply is that the branch of service for ground forces (i.e artillery, infantry, etc.) was not differentiated in the hat eagle badges used. The same eagles were used for all.

Interesting item. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Regards,
Tony

[Battery Command Post]

Wow, that was quick!

Thanks Tony, that has got to be it. The size is right, and the position of the attachment wire would also seem to correspond exactly. I have two examples of the Polish hat eagle, but they are both large size.

Yes, it's a lovely item, and is actually part of a grouping I have for the same man, K92175 Gunner Ladislas Alfred Wrotnowski, who was a Bank Clerk in Victoria, BC when he joined up in 1940 at the age of 41.

I will have to find an example now

Thanks again,

Rob

[A.J. Zawadzki]

You're most welcome Rob.

Ladislas (maybe anglicized Władysław-?) Wrotnowski sounded like a courageous fellow with an interesting story.

Best wishes in your hunt for a replacement eagle. These early war 'Paris 1940' small types don't pop up on the market all that frequently. Should I encounter one I'll make it a point to contact you via PM.

Cheers,
Tony

[Battery Command Post]

You're most welcome Rob.

Ladislas (maybe anglicized Władysław-?) Wrotnowski sounded like a courageous fellow with an interesting story.

Best wishes in your hunt for a replacement eagle. These early war 'Paris 1940' small types don't pop up on the market all that frequently. Should I encounter one I'll make it a point to contact you via PM.

Cheers,
Tony

Hi

If you see one on your travels that would be great, thanks.

I don't know where he got the name from, although he seems to have gone by the name 'Alfred' during his short time in the British Army (he was too late to see action in WWI and was discharged as "surplus to military requirements").

Rob