Polish cap badge

[mjw]

Can any Forum member give me any information regarding this cap badge. It is made of brass and has no makers details on the reverse. It does not appear quite as clean on the obverse as in the picture. This is due to my scanner!

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[Gary J]

Certainly looks to be a 2nd Corp Middle East issue.

Gary J.

[mjw]

Hello Gary,

Thank you for the reply and interesting information.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[3mk]

Hey there,
Like Gary said Its Italian/Middle Eastern,I think they were the only ones making Exile cap badges out of brass.

Regards
Emil

[Rylke Flakelar]

Hey everyone,

Very excited to be making my first post to the forum. You guys provide a great service to those of us wanting to learn more about our family's history and to carry on the proud traditions, so thanks for that.

The attached photos are of what looks to be a cap badge. I suspect it is a reproduction made after the war (perhaps for a commemorative event or something), based on the odd attachments on the reverse. Would be great to hear from the experts though.

It is approximately 55mm in length.

I've also attached my grandfather's military service record for context.

Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing from you. I'll be sure to be posting other questions in other threads.

regards,

Andrew Flakelar

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Andrew, welcome to the forum!

The cap badge is original. I think you will find it is Canadian made.

Cheers, Ade.

[Rylke Flakelar]

Hey Ade,

Thanks for your reply. As is often the case, this has raised more questions, especially since my grandfather never visited Canada, as far as I'm aware.

I've attached another photo of the badge, pinned to the 14th Pułk Ułanow pennant (this is how I found it). Perhaps that might help identify the badge's provenance? Would it ever have been literally used on an officer's cap?

Thanks again,

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello Andrew,

Ade is correct in identifying this as a genuine Canadian made hat eagle badge. These are wartime production badges originating from the factory of William Scully Ltd. of Montreal Canada. They were shipped over to the United Kingdom for use by the Polish Armed Forces in Exile stationed there.

A word of warning. It appears that you had detached the eagle badge from the pennon for the pictures. The rear fastening blades on these do not enjoy repeated bending and easily break, so refastening to the pennon will not be without some risk.

. . . Would it ever have been literally used on an officer's cap?

Used by all ranks. An eagle with this type of blade fastening system would have typically been found on beret/GS caps and also FS caps.

For more information of ‘exile eagles’ please see this thread: https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/polis...p-eagles-1980/

Cheers,
Tony

[Rylke Flakelar]

That is amazing. Thanks Tony.

Below is a photo of my grandfather (rtm. Aleksander Rylke, 14 P.Uł.) on parade in Scotland (I believe), of course wearing the FS Cap. He's the officer closest to camera. Based on your information it's a fair assumption that the badge he's wearing is the badge we're discussing.

Now I just need to find out what happened to the 14 P.Uł. badge that he's also wearing on his tunic in this photo.

Ade, Tony, thank you so much.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi again Andrew,

Thanks for posting the photo. Fantastic image.

. . . Based on your information it's a fair assumption that the badge he's wearing is the badge we're discussing. . .

All you can safely assume that the badge belonged to him. It was not unusual for an officer to have multiple hat badges ‘in reserve’ for future use. I recently acquired an officer’s uniform grouping that contained about a dozen unused hat eagles. So there’s no way of being certain your badge is the one your grandfather is wearing in the photo.

. . . Now I just need to find out what happened to the 14 P.Uł. badge that he's also wearing on his tunic in this photo.

Don’t leave any stone unturned! The enameled officer’s version of this badge is a definite rarity. The other ranks version is posted below. Spink & Son produced these for the exiled armed forces.

Please keep us posted with your ongoing research.

Cheers,
Tony