Robin Lumsden

That 'Tudor' helmet ................ with German-inspired camouflage pattern ................... is a truly wonderful thing !!!

Korrekt !!

My Brodies are cop ones .......................... both WW1 and WW2 types.

Great patina !! The first EK2 I ever owned was by this maker .................... one of my favourites. That was back around 1970. Cost £3 GBP !!

I guess this guy liked skulls almost as much as I do ..................

I've had this small brass badge for many, many years, Never knew exactly what it was. Today, I found out ............................ ..................... it was the centrepiece of a civilian trouser belt buckle worn by Wehrwolf members & sympathisers. Another little mystery solved.

I picked up this little Wehrwolf skull badge many, many years ago. Cost £4 as I recall, from Mick Coverdale. Never knew exactly what it was. Today, I found out. It's the centrepiece from a Wwolf sympathiser civilian trouser belt buckle !! This is only the second one I've seen in 40 years.

I've had this very distinctive type of skull for a few years. Today, I managed to get the 'Viking Ship' sleeve badge to go with it. Matching silvered brass insignia for the Sturmkompanie of the Ehrhardt Brigade, 1919-20.

Thanks all !! Very interesting.

Well spotted, Thomas. The particular position of the TKs here didn't enter my head. If these 1916 FW recruits in the above photos wore the relatively newly-introduced TK badge in that particular position, it might be safe to assume that it would have been sewn to their new Gd. Pnr. tunics before they were issued with them. In other words, joining their new regiment, they would have been given new tunics rather than having to personally de-badge their existing uniforms and then re-badge them with all the Gd. Pnr. collars, straps and other badges. At the very least, their existing tunics might have been re-badged on their behalf by the regimental tailors. The point I'm trying to make (very clumsily) is that this might have been the 'official position' placing of the new TK badge on the arm, at least as far as the uniform manufacturers or regimental tailors were concerned. Does the photo below summarise your current understanding of the placing of these badges ??

Chris. It's dated October 1916. Only three months after the introduction of the FW TK. So, early use of this badge. Here's the reverse ...................

FW assault troops ........................

Another confirmed WW1 grouping .................... with a black gun. I've been in the 'net for an hour and can't find another tank sleeve badge with a white gun !!! Even the US AEF tankers (Patton included) in 1918 appear to have worn British-type badges with black guns.

Hello Mervyn. No ................ last time I was at the IWM was donkey's years ago. The badge is probably just one of those unexplained original 'variations'. A bit like the now famous 'black skull'.

Personally, I prefer it before the silver dip !!

Similar item after silver dipping ............................

Before silver dip ............................

The cross is a WW1 original. It has probably been dipped in .................

See what I mean ...................... ?? Not a white gun barrel in sight. All black.

Here's the original (undated, but probably 1915-16) design drawing for this badge, courtesy of The Imperial War Museum. The badge I have has the gun in white, rather than the standard regulation black .................... I haven't seen another one like it. Any ideas?

Mervyn. These old British tanks and skulls go together like ham and eggs !!

Even better !!

Reverse 'mesh' construction looks a bit like this old Imperial German TK ..........................

Thanks, Eric. I just picked it up for £36. Quite pleased at that. Looks like an old one (1917-ish ???) to me.

Can anyone tell me if this arm badge is from WW1 or WW2 ?? The hand-embroidered construction looks WW1 to me. Thanks in advance !!