Indian Army Badges

[Toolkit]

Hi all. Can anyone suggest a book which shows the cap badges or insignia of the Indian Regiments, both Native and British, which would have been worn before Partition? Any help appreciated.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Toolkit

[sbintayab]

Dear I have a collection of images of Cap badges of Indian Army before Indian Partition???Do you like to see it????If so, I'll add the image soon.......

Shams

[Toolkit]

Dear I have a collection of images of Cap badges of Indian Army before Indian Partition???Do you like to see it????If so, I'll add the image soon.......

Shams

Hi Shams. That would be nice. Here are a few of mine, Ignore the prices as they are for my info, only.

[Toolkit]

[Toolkit]

[sbintayab]

Dear You are boss..............it is my single word...............I'm exclaimed............

Shams

[peter monahan]

Toolkit

You have quite a collection there! Unfortunately, the very best book on Indian badges, which has just been published - last year - is available only from India and costs a LOT of money. The author is Ashok Nath, who now lives in Sweden, I think, but served in the Indian Armoured Corps during the 1970's or so.

At the moment my computer is not letting me copy the pictures to blow ujp and study but I can ID some even from the small pictures. [i once co-founded a group called 'The Indian Military Collectors Society', so I used to know a bit and can still remember some of it.

I'll try to do some of the easy ones for now.

In post #3 – your first one – I will identify things by row and number in the row, so the 4th badge in row 1 will be '1.4' and so on.

1.4- 1st Lancers [Hodson's Horse]; 1.5 - 19th Punjab Infantry; 1.6 - 8th King George's Own Lancers;

upside down badge below row 1 - 3rd Hyderabad Infantry

2.6, 2.7 & 2.8 – Hyderabad [state forces] units

3.1– Bombay Grenadiers; 3.3- 5th Gurkha Rifles [post-1947]; 3.6 - 2nd Lancers [Gardner's Horse]; 3.7 - 45th Cavalry, Indian Armoured Corps [post-1947]

4.1 - 9th Jat Regiment; 4.2 & 4.3 Pakistan Medical Corps [post-1947]; 4.4 – Assam Regiment; 4.5 - 12th Frontier Force [sam Browne's] Cavalry; 4.7 - 5th Hyderabad Infantry; 4.9 – Frontier Constabulary [Pakistani, post-1947]

I'll try to do a few more in a couple days when I have more time. Feel free to e-mail me off-list [petemonahan@sympatico.ca] with questions .

Anything with the Lions of Ashoka on it – 3.5, for example; is post '47 Indian; anything wit laterh the star and crescent, or either of those alone, is post '47 Pakistani, with a few exceptions

Edited August 17, 2010 by peter monahan

[Toolkit]

Thank you for your identifications Peter. They are most helpful. The book you mentioned 'Izzat' is over £100 now and is only about Cavalry. He intends to cover Infantry and Corps in later books. The illustrations are all black and white though. For £100 I would have liked some glossy colour spreads!! Gongratulations on reaching all the 1's.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Toolkit

[hhbooker2]

Phoenix Military had a three part series on the badges of the Indian Army that I illustrated for the now defunct magazine. Go to either http://www.archive.org or to http://www.scribd.com and look under Sarge Booker or Herbert Hillary Booker 2nd or under Indian Army Badges. You can use whatever I have done for free however you wish. Also please see my website http://picasaweb.google.com/booker1942 and find it there and over 1,900 albums free for downloading at Booker's Free Web Library. H.H.Booker II (booker1942@yahoo.com) of Tujunga. :D

[Hd1]

Thank you for your identifications Peter. They are most helpful. The book you mentioned 'Izzat' is over £100 now and is only about Cavalry. He intends to cover Infantry and Corps in later books. The illustrations are all black and white though. For £100 I would have liked some glossy colour spreads!! Gongratulations on reaching all the 1's.

Hi

I am in the process of looking for books on Indian badges pre 1947. I started collecting recently. Are there any books you came across that we're useful? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

H

[Toolkit]

Hello. I recently bought a copy of Sons of John Company which has a lot of badge illustrations and helped me identify 3 badges in my collection that I had as 'unknown' for several years.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Toolkit - welcome to GMIC. A great collection and I like the way you have posted a number of pictures on each thread. I am

sure other members will be able to help with identifications - but, a good start with Peter. You will find Shams very helpful.

I was a little worried with the picture on your Avatar - in case it was a self portrait........... What made you pick a Drill ? Mervyn

[Hd1]

Hello. I recently bought a copy of Sons of John Company which has a lot of badge illustrations and helped me identify 3 badges in my collection that I had as 'unknown' for several years.

Hi Toolkit

Thanks for that seen it on Amazon for £15 (very reasonable). Fantastic collection of Indian badges. I have question regarding this badge:

What regiment is it?

Harj

[peter monahan]

Nahab Akhal Infantry - States Forces, I think. Which state will come to me soon - in a dream, very likely - and I'll let you know.

Peter