alanowen

The Tyneside Irish badge was lugged as it was part of the shoulder title. It was worn unofficially as a collar as portrait photos of this practice can be found. It was not a cap badge so the slider is wrong.

For my interest I was led to believe that the last pattern (post war) Cambridgeshire regt badge was an all w/m affair. Does the photo show this or the bi-metal version? Ta Alan

The Cambridgeshire Regt did exist after 1942 - serveral thousand cap badges were made in economy plastic in 1944 for the regiment. There is a very good article on plastic badges which lists all the rpoduction numbers and dates. As regards what is an original badge, in my opinion it is one that was made contempory to the period of wear - there is much restriking and lots of new dies have been made but these are all fakes in the purest sense. Alan

I don't know when this belt was put together but as the Parachute regiment badge was not in existance until WW2 it is somewhat odd to see it on the same belt as a WW1 era Manchester badge which changed in 1920 to the Fleur de Lys badge and a Inniskilling Fusiliers badge with the flag going left which would be pre 1934. This would suggests that the collection was put together some time after 1940 and is not contempory to the date of wearing. The pre 1901 RM belt buckle would not have been worn with that sort of webbing strap and has clearly been added on later. Saying that the badges and buckle all appear to be originals unlike some of the others shown in earlier posts. the Inniskillings is particularly desireable. Alan

To add my fourpenneth - these belts are nearly always allied abdges and not German. Theyw ere a record of an old soldiers service with the badges and buttons collected from his own side and not the eneny. Hate belt is an ebay generated term designed to sell to the unwary. Alan