cap badges

Cap badges and collar dogs - I've always wondered why the R Sigs cap badge and collar dogs were such a darned nuisance. they got bent and broken easily.

I still think that the cap badge for Other Ranks No 2 hat was a bad choice. I always found it difficult to set in the front of the cap correctly. it was the same with the beret. I was always breaking the legs of the collar dogs, and having to go to the QM Stores for exchanges. I reckon the 'Jimmy' would have been better designed to be inside a metal circle or similar. Some other R Sigs badges of Canada or Australia I believe, were far more robust than the ones used currently.

Does anyone agrees or disagree with this - should the R Sigs 'Jimmy' badge & collar dogs be redesigned to be more 'squaddy proof', or was it just my clumsy hands?

How many units have large cap badges and who has the largest?

The original "jimmy" was in a metal circle..I never had any probs with the current cap badge.In fact i think it is quite smart

I would imagine that one of the original jock regiments might have the biggest cap badge..And of course the present RRS has quite a big one

My own regiment A&SH and the KOSB's have big badges as do the Black Watch.

Remember whast they say now lads, size is not important !

We had two to choose from........sniff.

This was the Royal Signals Jimmy prior to 1949, then it switched to the present Jimmy with a King's Crown, 1952 switched again to Queen's Crown.
I wear the old style Jimmy when in Signals Blazer for Remembrance Day etc and wear the current one with King's Crown when I'm in attending 'official' Signal's do's.
I would prefer the old badge, as, after all it is the official badge of the Royal Signals Association and we are not serving soldiers now.

Len (Ciphers)

Quote :

the old badge, as, after all it is the official badge of the Royal Signals Association

???????????????????????

Goes to show Gordon .... when did they change it..

Len (Ciphers)

Long time ago Len...Look on the website....

Gordon, I have a set routine every morning, shower, shave, turn on the computer, take the dog for a walk, have breakfast then on the computer .. first stop Brian Streetley's (still call it that) site ... never much doing unfortunately .. next stop Royal Signals Association site to check out Last Post (that's getting scary) ... then BAOR Forum, always lively and lastly the Southampton Southern Daily Echo to check out the obituaries ... morbid bugger .. then 'e' mails by the ton.

Every day on the Signals site and never noticed that they had changed the logo ..

Len (Ciphers)

It`s an age thing Len

rucjock21 wrote:

Gordon,A&SH returned to Seaton Bks Plymouth after Aden where they did three tours of Borneo,one of the few units to do so.Then under Lt Col Colin Campbell Mitchell and 700 glengarried men headed off to the Crater district in Aden to teach some insignificant little terrorists a lesson they will not forget.Argyll Law ruled the day there.

Jock, there's a book I've read a couple of times called 'They Stood in the Door' It's an excellent book primarily about 16 Independent Para Brigade during the early 1960's. It's one mans memories of his time in Borneo and Aden, I remember he writes about an incident in Aden where a young Jock was shot in the back of the head by a female terrorist, days later the Paras caught her and handed her over to the highland regiment which the young Jock belonged to. She was obviously never seen again. It may be a bit of a busmans holiday for you but it's one of the best books I've ever read on the subject.

FYI: 'They Stood in the Door' Written by Don MacNaughton, published by Arthur H Stockwell 1983.

rucjock21 wrote:

My own regiment A&SH and the KOSB's have big badges as do the Black Watch.

I knew a chap from the Gordon Highlanders who I met on a course, his cap badge was a tad on the large side. Bloody great deers head, actually he would probably call it a stag, and I still cant believe how heavy a kilt is.

Hi Wilf,I think the regiment concerned was the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) I heard the same story myself as I was in Aden at the same time with 2 Para based in Singapore Lines.I think it was all hushed up by those who carried out the deed.By the way, that is the way to deal with terrorists.

I seem to remember the Brigadiers batman getting into a bit of trouble at the officers mess at Soltau. His name was Alastair (Cant remember his surname) he was a Sgt from the Black Watch and good company when not on duty. Anyway he was on the door at some formal mess event and as guests arrived he announced their arrival. However, after reading the details on the card handed to him he announced the officer and his wife, then spat on the floor before saying... Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. We thought it was hilarious but he got a right bollocking, it didn't go down very well with the Brigadier at all. No sense of humour these senior officer types.