Canadian Battlegroup Badges Ed Storey
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Wilfrid Laurier University Canadian Military History Volume 19 | Issue 1 Article 8 3-27-2015 Canadian Battlegroup Badges Ed Storey Recommended Citation Ed Storey (2010) "Canadian Battlegroup Badges," Canadian Military History: Vol. 19: Iss. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol19/iss1/8 This Feature is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. : Canadian Battlegroup Badges Canadian Battlegroup Badges Ed Storey very military unit, large or small, Abstract: The Canadian Army has these divisional patches were: 1st Elikes in some way to distinguish always strictly controlled the badges Division – red, 2nd Division – blue, itself from other units. This is and insignia worn on its uniforms. Still, 3rd Division – grey, 4th Division – especially the case with today’s there are examples of non-regulation green and 5th Division – maroon. somewhat drab camouflage uniform. insignia being issued and worn. As To further identify the brigades the Canadian Army evolved after the There is a trend by the Canadian Second World War non-regulation within the divisions a device was units operating in Southwest Asia to insignia became more acceptable for added to the patch and the colour adopt individual distinctive insignia short periods of time or for specific of this device identified each of the or “theatre-made” patches. Unlike units serving overseas. With the average brigades. The colours chosen for the past Canadian wars and military Canadian soldier earning more money brigade identifiers were green, red and with newer machinery being able operations, this trend is widespread to manufacture custom insignia more and blue with green being the senior and has resulted in a unique collection cheaply then before, it has become brigade and blue the junior. Finally, of colourful cloth insignia with motifs easier for unit-procured or “theatre- the shape of the device, which was that reflect the individualism of each made” insignia to be purchased and also made of wool, identified each sub-unit. worn on the various uniforms. Combat battalion within a brigade. The operations in Afghanistan are now Colourful insignia is not unique characterized by a willingness to obtain chosen shapes, again in wool were; a to the Canadian military. The and wear non-regulation ‘theatre-made’ circle, 1½ inches in diameter; a half- introduction of first khaki and drab badges by all types of units. circle, 2 inches in diameter; a triangle, serge uniforms by the British and 2 inches along each side and a square, Commonwealth armies during the honour or a symbol of a past historical 1½ inches along each side. The circle late part of the 19th and early 20th event and were designed to inspire a represented the senior battalion with century relegated what had been sense of esprit de corps or belonging the square representing the junior. splendid colourful field uniforms to the specific corps or regiment. These patches were provided to ceremonial use. The new field The insignia was designed by the at Crown expense to the soldier to uniforms reflected the changes in unit, but approval was granted at a be sewn onto the upper sleeves of tactics and doctrine which had been higher level at national headquarters, the service dress jacket. (There were brought about by advances in small thus ensuring that the badges were exceptions such as Railway Troops arms technology. No longer could in keeping with heraldic convention who wore their hollow red square long rows of colourfully dressed and service. at shoulder level in the centre of the massed infantry blast away at each During the First World War, back.) These patches were a great other until one side broke. Soldiers the Canadian Expeditionary Force source of pride as they were only now fought in extended formation, (CEF) in 1916 loosely adopted a worn by units serving in Europe. taking advantage of ground cover colour patch system developed by After the war, the patches continued and used drab earth-toned uniforms the British in 1915 in order to identify to be worn by veterans who remained to help conceal themselves. Units and control units more readily on the in the Canadian Militia as a form distinguished themselves by brass battlefield. The instructions for these of recognition for active service insignia in the form of cap, collar patches were outlined in a letter from in France and Flanders although and shoulder titles with perhaps the assistant quartermaster general in permission for wear was eventually corps or regimental buttons. The August 1916 and the patches were to withdrawn in 1929. metal insignia was based upon an be made of wool three inches wide During the Second World War a inspirational motif such as a battle and two inches high. The colours for system of coloured patches was again Published© Canadianby Scholars CommonsMilitary @History Laurier, ,2010 Volume 19, Number 1, Winter 2010, pp.69-74. 69 1 Storey - Battlegroup Badges.indd 69 4/15/2010 1:51:01 PM Canadian Military History, Vol. 19 [2010], Iss. 1, Art. 8 now the 4th and 5th divisions were armoured formations. Only the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division adopted the Great War system of brigade and battalion devices above the division patch with the same colours and shapes. This patch system lasted until just after the ill-fated Dieppe raid when it switched to using the division patch in conjunction with some form of unit shoulder title. While the overseas divisions used the same single colour as in the Great War, the patches of the three home defence divisions were bisected laterally from the bottom left corner to the top right corner Distinguishing patch of the 43rd using two colours. The army, corps Distinguishing patches of the Lord Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary and tank brigade formations used Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) in Force. The rectangle is grey, indicating the Second World War. The rectangular the 3rd Canadian Division, while the blue diamonds with colours that generally patch is maroon for the 5th Canadian circle represents the senior battalion of corresponded to those used by the Armoured Division. the junior brigade. divisions; and reinforcement units used yellow circles. The home defence of use and all were to be removed required to identify and control units commands also used diamonds, in from the uniform by January 1947. in the field. Just as in the Great War, this case grey for Atlantic and green Conflict and the threat of conflict this system would compliment the for Pacific. “Y” Force in Bermuda also soon renewed the issue of formation brass cap and collar insignia already used a yellow diamond. The patches insignia. The Canadian 25th Brigade in use as well as the colourful cloth could be worn in conjunction with the serving with the United Nations shoulder titles just coming into use by cloth embroidered shoulder title, but forces in Korea in 1950-53 had a the corps and regiments of the army. supporting corps had patches with the red shield incorporating two silver By mid-1940, again following abbreviated corps name embroidered olive sprays and a gold maple leaf British practice, it had generally at the centre of the patch. Within 5th with the word “CANADA.” It was been settled by Canadian Military Canadian Armoured Division the worn on the top of both sleeves of Headquarters in London that a series regimental names were abbreviated the battledress (BD) tunic. When of coloured geometric patches similar for inclusion within the division the 25th Brigade became part of to those of the Great War would be patch. the 1st Commonwealth Division, it used. Over the succeeding war years Other formations had their received the pale blue shield which this system grew into a bewildering own patches, such as the Canadian was adorned with a crown and array of patches that rivalled those of Infantry Corps, Canadian Military the word “COMMONWEALTH,” the Great War. Overseas formations Headquarters, Exercise Eskimo, which was worn on the left sleeve. were allowed to wear patches, but so Exercise Musk-Ox and the survivors The crowns changed from Tudor were home defence formations and of “C” Force from Hong Kong. The to Edwardian with the change of reinforcement units. Canadian Army Pacific Force also monarchs in 1952. An early example As in the Great War, the patches had its own hexagonal patch which of what could be considered as were provided at Crown expense. employed the five colours of the “theatre-made” insignia would be Division patches were the same size divisions as well as black for the the wire embroidered 25th Brigade at three inches high and two inches armoured corps. and 1st Commonwealth Division wide and were made of wool. Again, Following the end of hostilities, patches that were widely available to they were sewn onto the upper repatriated troops, like their father’s Canadian troops for purchase when sleeves of the uniform, this time the generation, wore their distinctive transiting through Japan. Although battle dress tunic which had replaced formation patches home as a symbol not officially approved, many were the service dress jacket for field wear of pride in their overseas service. worn home from Korea. in the late 1930s. The colours for the With rapid demobilization of the The 27th Brigade in Germany, divisions were the same although army, the formation patches fell out Canada’s contribution to the British http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol19/iss1/870 2 Storey - Battlegroup Badges.indd 70 4/15/2010 1:51:02 PM : Canadian Battlegroup Badges Army on the Rhine (BAOR), received of its uniforms and badges.