1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners

[Gunner]

I have been trying to find out what cap badge was worn by above unit in WW1. 

Was it an RE badge with a shoulder title indicating the particular unit or a GRI cypher with shoulder title or something else completely ?

[peter monahan]

This regiment became the 'KGO Sappers and Miners' in 1910, formerly the 'Prince of Wales S&M'.  Their shoulder title was a curved brass one, with a large '61' - their precedence number in the line - over 'K.G.O. PIONEERS'.  [Ashok Nath, Sowars and Sepoys in the Great War, p213, no. 674]. 

 

[Michael Johnson]

I beg to differ, Peter. The 61st Pioneers became the 1st Madras Pioneers in 1922.  The Madras Pioneers were disbanded in 1933.

If they had gone into the Sappers and Miners, surely it would have been into the 2nd QVO S & M?

[Gunner]

Gents. Thank you but I still confused. What I am specifically looking for is the badge worn post 1910 and during WW1.

[peter monahan]

The badges I've posted would have been worn from the 1910 re-naming until replaced by cloth titles sometime in the early '30s.  Or until their disbandment?  

Michael, Gunner asked specifically about the 'KGO'  S & M, and the illustrations seem clear - '61' = KGO.  Or am I misunderstanding you?

I can't explain the '61' but do believe that Ashok has it right.  Here is the information from Wiki, sourced from the Corps of Engineers Museum.  Gunner, I hope this helps.

·         1803 1st company raised by Capt T Wood as Bengal Pioneers

·         1851 became Corps of Bengal Sappers and Pioneers

·         1903 became 1st Sappers and Miners

·         1906 became 1st Prince of Wales's Own Sappers and Miners

·         1910 became 1st King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners

·         1923 became King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners

·         1937 became King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners

·         1941 became King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group of the Indian Engineers

·         1946 became King George V's Group of the Royal Indian Engineers

·         1947 half allocated to India on Partition and half to Pakistan

Lord Kitchener's Reforms in 1903 saw it redesignated as the '1st Sappers and Miners' which was, again, altered in 1906 to '1st Prince of Wales's Own Sappers and Miners'. On the accession of George V to the throne in 1910 it was renamed '1st King George's Own Sappers and Miners' with the numerical nomination being dropped in 1923. In 1937 it was re-titled 'King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners'. In 1941 they became the 'King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners Group' of the Indian Engineers in 1946 the 'King George V's Group' of the Royal Indian Engineers.  [The Royal Engineers Museum and Library “Corps History Part 10 - Indian Engineering Soldiers 1777-1947”;]

https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Bengal_Sappers_and_Miners