British Army Badge Identity needed

[Martin 0024]

Hello all, new here and diving in with the first question...

 

The driver of the FLT is a Ordnance Corps Cpl under command of HQ Land. He is a driver qualified tradesman, but the badge, the star for driver trade, is within a circle. None of the literature I have at hand identifies this badge and I assume he is an Instructor MT. Has anyone seen this and can offer positive ID please.

[Farkas]

On 15/08/2023 at 16:25, Martin 0024 said:

Hello all, new here and diving in with the first question...

 

The driver of the FLT is a Ordnance Corps Cpl under command of HQ Land. He is a driver qualified tradesman, but the badge, the star for driver trade, is within a circle. None of the literature I have at hand identifies this badge and I assume he is an Instructor MT. Has anyone seen this and can offer positive ID please.

Hi Martin,

welcome to the club 🍻

 

Good question… the usual design I’d expect is the more simple star like this 👇 

 

The book the picture is taken from states ‘Drivers badges were all replaced by a star in 1950’ and has no mention of the ‘encircled star’ design in your picture.
A separate ‘QI’ instructor patch would be worn on the left forearm if applicable.

There are an abundance of little star patches used by various militaries…

so I suppose it is possible this isn’t a British issued patch. I don’t think the 🇬🇧 army has ever been that ‘flexible’ with dress regs, but maybe it was a stop gap 🤷‍♂️

 

I’ll have another look though before I give up…& maybe, as so often happens, in time another Gent will have the answer.

 

Let us know if you have any luck yourself 🤞

 

cheers

tony

[Martin 0024]

Thanks Tony,

 

I have looked through various books on the matter of post war British Military badges, and, in fact, I wore the star as a qualified B3, B2, B1 driver myself in the 90s. I never saw an encircled drivers badge, but I have read about one. My memory fails me as to where I read it, but it was discontinued shortly after introduction. Why, I cannot remember and so I am vexed by this oddity!

 

Even the various posters that were once rather popular do not give a hint as to what it could be. As you also say, wearing badges is and was strictly controlled, back then even more so, so it has to be an official period qualification badge. Frustrating.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Martin 0024
To Add File

[Farkas]

On 21/08/2023 at 14:23, Martin 0024 said:

Thanks Tony,

 

I have looked through various books on the matter of post war British Military badges, and, in fact, I wore the star as a qualified B3, B2, B1 driver myself in the 90s. I never saw an encircled drivers badge, but I have read about one. My memory fails me as to where I read it, but it was discontinued shortly after introduction. Why, I cannot remember and so I am vexed by this oddity!

 

Even the various posters that were once rather popular do not give a hint as to what it could be. As you also say, wearing badges is and was strictly controlled, back then even more so, so it has to be an official period qualification badge. Frustrating.

 

I don’t suppose it was a combination of trades?  I had wondered if this was a drivers patch over a carpenters wheel patch. 

The more I look at it though, the circle looks irregular and more like a wreath?

 

As you say - Frustrating!

 

tony🍻