servicepub

The Busby badge is to the 101st Fusiliers - later the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. The Cavalry helmets are (left to right, top shelf first); the 19th Alberta Dragoons, circa 1939 - the helmet plate was at the jewelers getting a much needed repair; Royal Canadian Dragoons, post-1953; Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, circa 1930; Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) post-1953; Governor General's Body Guards, Victorian; An unusual helmet in that it is a Household Cavalry style but with a Lord Strathcona's helmet plate; An 1848 pattern helmet to the Prince of Wales Canadian dragoon Guards, circa 1870; Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), King's Crown - unusual as it is in steel and not brass. Steel helmets were authorised for the LdSH in 1903 and changed to brass by 1907; Governor General's Body Guards, King's Crown - pre-1936; 25th Brant Dragoons, circa 1920; Royal Canadian Dragoons, modern - this helmet was manufactured in 2007 in time for the RCD's 125th anniversary. I assisted the regiment in the procurement.

Here is a corner of my 'war room'.

Canada is not the only country to accept UN, NATO and other organizations' medals within their order of precedence rather than treat them as foreign. The UK, Australia and New Zealand all do this also. However, it was not always so and the date of adoption varies by country.

Stuart, As you know I am still in Haiti while my helmets are in Ottawa. If you have the photos of my Boer War-era helmet to the 43rd (later Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa) which I sent to Chris please post it on my behalf. Clive

I have seen a Canadian Forces Corporal, widow of a CF soldier killed in A'stan, wearing the Memorial Cross mounted with her own A'stan medals. Of course, the Mother's Cross representative at the annual Remembrance Day ceremony wears hers - with pride I assume.

Hi Boris The "QE II" refers to Queen Elizabeth the Second (the current Monarch) and identifies the badges as datiung from 1953 to the present. More pragmatically, it means that the badges bear the Queen's crown. The gold braid on these two caps is typical of the braid embellishments worn by Junior officers (Lieutenants and Captains) while Field Officers (Majors and Lt-Colonels) wore a row of Oak Leaf embroidery (in Canada this was Maple Leaf embroidery until the 1930s). Generals wore two rows of Oak Leaf or Maple Leaf embroidery. Peak embroidery for Colonels and Brigadiers varied depending on the date.

In spite of Canada's adoption of the Wolseley in 1910 to replace the style known, in Canada, as the Universal Pattern, the helmet shown here is still worn by senior cadets at RMC, while others wear a 'pill-box' cap. The "671" is his cadet number which indicates that his helmet was the one he wore at RMC and which he continued to wear in his post-RMC career as an officer in the Royal Canadian Engineers. He could do this as he was in possession of the earlier pattern prior to the change-over and was entitled to continue wearing it until it wore out. Helmet plates for RMC are often found on e-bay at under $70.00 but you would have to remove the pugaree. Alternatively, keep the pugaree (which is a real beaut!) and get an RCE pugaree badge - which is simply the RCE cap badge of the era. If restored to an RMC helmet then it would display well with the tunic. If restored as an RCE helmet then the uniform would not be a match. The tunic cuffs are just the standard cuff details for the scarlet tunic of the era and the two 'stripes" on the collar indicate the wearer's 'rank' at RMC.

The QOR, as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, wore a French Grey formation patch

The colour(s) of the forage cap did not change with the colour of the uniform. If you were in an Hussars Regiment that wore a scarlet forage cap then you wore that cap with the (blue) Patrol Dress ans well as your Scarlet Mess Dress, etc... Here is a Royal Army Service Corps forage cap And here is a Forage cap to the Royal Canadian Engineers I stand by my assertation that it is a RASC cap with an incorrectly applied RE badge. Images are from my upcoming book "200 years of Canadian Military Headdress"

The Canadian Army usually followed British Army practice. If this were the case with this hat then it would be from the Royal Army Service Corps and has had a Royal Engineers badge incorrectly attached. This type of cap is known as a forage cap and was worn with Patrols (the dark blue semi-formal uniform) and, in Canada at least, with Service Dress in lieu of a brown forage cap under certain conditions.

I have known this vendor for several years. He has had one of the best 1 Cdn Para Bn collections, ever. For a good reference on the insignia and uniforms of this unit check out "Into The Maelstrom" from Service Publications - www.servicepub.com/maelstrom.htm Standard disclaimer does NOT apply as I am the publisher of this book and will benefit.

That's the one. Any idea where I can find a copy?

I was recently told of a book, privately-published in the UK, which addressed headdress 'embellishments', i.e., flashes, hackles, plumes, etc.... Does anyone know its title or from where it can obtained?

Here is a Cawnpore (thanks Stuart for providing this terminology) owned by an officer of the Fort Garry Horse, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It displays both the cloth flash and the regimental cap badge. Waiting for photos of the interior. Property of the FGH Museum.

Although this thread started in the "Cawnpores and Bombay Bowlers" thread, as a Wolseley, it is more appropriate here. This Wolseley was the property of an offficer in the 2nd Battalion, Governor General's Foot Guards. It displays a red hackle - better termed a plume in keeping with Guards' terminology. The plume is worn on the left side which is consistent with GGFG practice (although allied with the Coldstream Guards there are some minor differences. In this case the GGFG is the senior Foot Guard Regiment and the plume is worn on the left even though the buttons are worn paired.) The second photo shows (left side) a GGFG Major (note paired buttons, six-pointed stars on collar and patch (unpleated) pockets.) He wears a Hawley Sun Helmet of a pattern issued to the troops but with the addition of a cloth pugarree and, just visible, the red plume on the left side. Clive

&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;<br />Mine is named to an Officer in the RCCS. It is my assumption (I know, I know) that the Cdns followed the British Sigs. I don't know that yours is Canadian which is why I put the 'Canadian' in brackets to show that it could be Brit or Cdn.<br /><br />I have a photo of another Wollesley, from WWII, which includes a red hackle on the left side. I also have a photo of the owner wearing it and the hackle is just visible. This was worn by officers in the Governor General's Foot Guards. Do you know if hackles, or more properly, plumes, were worn by the British Brigade of Guards on Wollesleys? The GGFG are allied with the Coldstream Guards and wear a similar uniform, albeit with some minor differences. If a plume were worn by the CG then it would have been on the right side.<br /><br />Clive

Stuart, I see that you have been poaching in my pond! Good for you on acquiring this Wollesley. The flash is for the Royal (Canadian) Corps of Signals. Here is one that I photographed at the Canadian Forces Communications Museum

I didn't say that the Brits "don't allow the wear of a US decoration" I said that they don't allow two decorations for the same event. The US routinely awards Bronze and Silver Stars to Allied forces and, at higher ranks, the Legion of Merit. If I were the Royal Marine I would prefer to be recognized by my own government and wear a medal that my Brit comrades in arms would recognize - and which is worn as my 'first' medal, rather than one that is not readily known and is tucked away, as a foreign award, at the end of my medal row.

I doubt it. British policy doesn't allow for the award of two decorations for the action. Prior to presenting a bravery award to this Marine the US would consult with the Brits who would then decline the offer. The issue of a US medal for Iraq is probably unlikely in this case because the Brits are also in Iraq and have their own service medal for this campaign. If presented with one by the US he would not be able to wear it with his other medals but could keep it as a souvenir.

The Medic, Peter McKinley, may have been put up for the VC but was, instead, awarded the Military Cross in the December 2006 Operational Honours and Awards List.

At the risk of annoying the moderators with some blatant commercial promotion, you may want to drop in on my website from time to time. I publish books on Canadian military artifacts/artefacts. http://www.servicepub.com

It has been out of print for at least 5 years. It originally sold for CDN$29.95 but the last copy I saw on e-bay went for US$105.00 last Fall.

Correct. Taken into use in the 1960s as a cloth formation patch and worn on both sleeves. With Unification of the Canadian Forces thie badge was issued as an enamel badge with two clutch pins and was worn o the right breats pocket. The "FMC" is a bilingual name and reads in French as "Force Mobile" and in English as "Mobile Command" (aka MobCom), essentially the "army" portion of the Canadian forces. I briefly touch on this badge in my book "Distinguishing Patches - Formation Patches of the Canadian Army 1916-1996".

The medal shown in the original post is the Meritorious Service Cross (MSC) and not the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). Click on the link to see the MS Medal. http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/honours_awa...t=3&Q_ID=30 Both the MSC and the MSM have civilian equivalents. The medals are identical but the ribbons include a central white stripe for the civilian awards.

This is a valuable tunic, especially if you can prove provenance and if you had the soldiers paybook, photo etc... The "Airborne Canada" title was worn by staff at the parachute training centre as well as by soldiers trained but not yet posted oversea to the 1st Cdn Para Bn. Only one style of para wings were worn during WWII (although there were manufacturing variants of course) and this badge featured the gold/yellow Maple Leaf. Moder badges display either a white leaf (for graduates of the basic para course but who are not members of a "Para" unit) and red leaf (for para graduates who fill a jump position in a "Para" unit and who have also undergone the para indoctrination course.) These "Para" units include the jump companies of the Infantry regiments, the Para training centre, Riggers, etc.... There is a book coming out on these shortly. See my website at www.servicepub.com for details