unknown badge with fasces and axe. UK? Belgium? Dutch? Luxemburg?

[WRANGEL]

Hello Gentlemen,

I am trying to identify this badge. I have no idea if it is British, Dutch, from Belgium or Luxemburg...It was bought in a flea market in Paris but it is definitely not French. Is it military or police ?

I await your suggestions. Thanks.

Cheers

Bill

[WRANGEL]

Sorry,

I forgot to add the reverse of the badge.

Cheers

Bill

[Jef]

hello Bill,

According to the the book : Evolutie van de Belgische Militaire kentekens 1830- 2010( Evolution Belgian Militay Badges 1830-2010) it's Belgian military court, a shoulder badge for soldiers and corporals.

Kind regards,

Jef

[Mervyn Mitton]

Jef - I am most surprised that you have found reference to this badge for a Belgian Military Court. I would have expected

it to be Italian of pre WW2 vintage.

The badge represents - of course - the early Roman Republic Fasces - carried in front of Magistrates and the two Consuls. The bound

rods - on their own - represented that the official had the authority to order corporal punishment. With the axe bound in the centre, then he also

had the power to order execution. They were carried in front of the official by Lictors - and the greater the rank the number increased. I think the Consuls had 24 Lictors.

Mussolini tried to base his Fascisti Regime on the Roman Republic to give it authenticity - hence all of these symbols.

Out of interest could you show a picture of the Belgian one - also , did they use it anywhere else ? Mervyn

[Jef]

Hello Mervyn,

Attached are some drawnings of modern collar badges, different ranks, I found. Will add some more pics in other post.

Jef

[Jef]

These pics are taken from the splendid book of Urbain Huyghebaert "Evolutie van de Belgische Militaire kentekens 1830-2010" ( 330 pages, April 2010).

Hope the info is useful.

first pic, collar badges and cap badge of a Judge -advocate 1914

Second pic: different collar,beret, peaked cap and shoulder badges.

kind regards,

Jef

I also would like to reccomend this wonderfull website: http://www.abbl1940.be/index.html

Scroll to Kentekens, attributen, then go down to militair gerecht ( = military court)

[WRANGEL]

Hello Jef, Hello Mervyn,

Many thanks for your interest in this badge, and the identification. I must add that I am also in debt to Guy Deploige who helped me identifying this badge.

You can check also this site for Belgium military regulations :

http://forumeerstewe...pic.php?t=12807

here is the page with the above badge.

Cheers.

Bill

[Mervyn Mitton]

I suppose it is the link with the Belgium Justice Dept. and the Roman magistrates ? I had not known of this badge and

think it is a splendid little item. Some of the embroidered insignia that jaff shows are magnificent.

[Stuka f]

And Donald Sutherland and his mate, wear them in a film...

 

[WRANGEL]

Hello Stuka f,

Your photo is taken from the movie "1900" by Bernardo Bertolucci.

Cheers

Bill

 

[Stuka f]

Thanks Bill.

Is it a good film?

[peter monahan]

Like the now infamous swastika, the fasces have a long and generally proud hsitory. 

In Roman times, and presumably in the minds of the Belgian Army, they make a nice visual shorthand for 'We enforce the law.', a perfectly logical motto for a military court, especially one with the power of life and death. 

Mussolini and his ilk, of course, emphasized the 'force' at the expense of 'law' but that does not completely negate the historical precedents and meaning.

[Stuka f]

More Belgian badges with fasces;

Belgian Congo judicial police;