Ordnance Insignia of the British Army
Edited by Mike Comerford
Introduction
APRIL 2011
Update in progress
This reference book is not intended to be a history of the RAOC, many good reference books do that already. A Bibliography of known RAOC history books at Part 8 will point you in the right direction if that is what you need. What this book sets out to do is record in text & pictures the history of the Ordnance Services of the British Army from its early days as part of the Board of Ordnance to its amalgamation into The Royal Logistic Corps.
Ordnance Insignia of the British Army stated life in 2001 as a loose leaf 'Aide Memoir' for my own use when visiting Militara Fairs or the like. The title being the area of collecting I had decided to concentrate on. It grew as my collection did, and soon became a hobby in itself! As a collector, I did not just want drawers full of badges, But needed to know the history behind each piece. Information on insignia is not as easy to come by as general military history.
There are a number of books on badge collecting. Each have a page (if you are lucky) on the Ordnance Corps and its Predecessors. But when it comes to the facts beyond the basic badges and dates, you are more or less on your own.
Most but not all of the coloured insignia photographs used are from my own collection, with contributions from fellow collectors and researchers. Where possible I have tried to credit such contributions (If you notice something you want credited, please let me know) In particular I would like to thank John McKenzie who supplied me with copies of his Crown Imperial Articles on Early Ordnance Services, some of the drawings are reproduced in this guide.
Unlike a novel this book need not be read page by page, as each part is more or less self contained. If you want to know what a 1896 Army Ordnance Department Cap & Collar Badge looks like, find the reference what fits your need. You will on occasions see the same picture or piece of information repeated. This is not an error, it is cross referencing that piece of information.
Sua Tela Tonanti,
Mike Comerford
April 2011
I always welcome additions, corrections or comments on the
information contained in this e-book.
Please e-mail me in the first instance in all cases. I always reply to
all messages.
e-mail me # ordnance.corps@gmail.com
M Comerford – Reviewed April 2011