Isn't British Legion Badge Collecting Fun!

Gentlemen,

I have had many excellent conversations with many learned individuals over the years about these mysterious QVC badges, and much is now being written about them. Unfortunately, most is based on assumptions, some on educated guesses but very little on actual evidence which is quite understandable given the said circumstances?

The first, and obvious anomaly we have to look at is the fact that the badges are surmounted with a Queen Victoria Crown at all?

We now think - no proof - that these badge templates had been produced during the long reign of Queen Victoria, and after her death maybe these were sold off cheap? Only guesses - no proof, but what else can the reason be that the BL, and other organisations, were using them in an era when all insignia was now surmounted by a KC?

One thing to consider, is that changing crowns on insignia is surely a slow and expensive process? When The the current Sovereign hands over to her successor, who will almost certainly be a male, the process of changing all the Armed Forces, Emergency Services, local Authority insignia, let alone the hundreds and thousands of 'Royal Prefix' organisations like The Royal British Legion will be costly and will not happen overnight?

Many current badge manufacturers will be, I am sure for the right reasons only, be rubbing there hands together with the thought of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of new orders being up for grabs for existing and new insignia bearing a new KC?

Hey, that means there will be a huge surplus of QC insignia flooding the market as the owners and manufacturers both try to off load it? Sounding familiar at all or am I just being cynical?

Many so called 'die hards' or 'old sweats' will surely continue to wear there insignia with a QC for many a good year, but they will certainly be in the minority and from smaller organisations not governed by Standing Orders? However, also consider the fact that the British Legion did not have that issue to contend with, as it had no insignia with any crown to replace?

One thing that still troubles me very much is that Servicemen and Servicewomen, who know one crown from another better than anyone else, would surely have raised the issue as to why they were wearing ANY crown on there BL insignia (non Royal at that time!) let alone one attributed to Queen Victoria who was long dead????????????

With very few military and civil exceptions, the North Staffordshire's, The Welsh, The Gordon Highlanders and The Leinster's being amongst a few others who all wore a coronet incorporated into there insignia, all insignia was changed to incorporate a new Monarchs Crown just as soon as possible. Obviously units serving overseas in such places as India took slightly longer; many of them are documented as having had poor quality local insignia made whilst they awaited new 'sealed' items from the United Kingdom.

Enough of me ranting on, it's just that when you have been married to the IWM acknowledged U.K. leading War Memorial researcher and historian for twenty-two years some things start to rub off?

Anyway, if you look at the rear of some of your badges you will see that the good old BL / RBL badge makers, not the modern tinny producers, had a habit of adding a prefix to the numbers on badges?

I guess this was in the days when decent registration took place? For instance in my collection 'A' used to indicate the old A Members, 'G' on the Gold badges, 'L' on the Life Badges, 'Y' on the early Youth badges, etc, etc, etc, ect.....

Some of my BL QVC (with large Lion badges in the centre - not the small type) badges, like one image I have sent Jerry have the letter 'B' on the shorter but wider sliders. Could this possibly mean these badges were destined for the Band distribution?

Old 'regulars' may have already noting something of interest on the rear of one image that I sent Jerry and Bob? My husband (eagle-eyed ex Boy Soldier) states non regulars and the like would have definitely missed the clues on the slider? The wearer has attempted to reduce the length of the slider by cutting it. On another 'B' stamped badge the wearer was more successful, and the slider has been crudely trimmed.

The BLVPF wore Metropolitan Police caps, which could easily cope with the very long slider. I would take an educated guess that the Car Park Attendants (later CC), and Band wore a different make of cap as this is something that commonly happens when the producers make a slider too long for the new cap or beret housing to take.

The QVC Badges with small badge are quite possibly early BL Car Park Attendants or BL CC issues, but just a guess from looking at photographs?

So, who wore the ones with the WS badge affixed to the QVC badge then? No female members of the BLVPF that we know of?

Maybe female Car Park Attendants, (later female CC), maybe female Band Members, maybe female Standard Bearers? Who knows?

The debate continues, but here is my ten pennies worth for you all to mull over and find fault with. Just please let me know. Ha ha.

Hope the above helps?

]]>