(also on the Khaki Solar Pith Helmet in India)
The following rules would apply to all RAOC personnel:
1. The patch will be in blue cloth, diamond shaped, 2” x 1½” with a vertical red braid stripe ¼” wide, worn on the left side of the helmet. on the pagri.
2. The provision and wearing of the patch was not compulsory, however, if adopted by any unit, it must be worn by all personnel of that unit.
3. Arrangements were made for the patches to be made available through NAAFI, at unit or private expense.
Example of an RAOC Pagri Patch
The Pagri was piece of coloured cloth folded to approximately 2¾” as a band around the Foreign Service Helmet or Khaki Solar Pith Helmet, with the identifying patch stitched to the centre of the left hand side.
Example of a Pagri and Patch (on a Khaki Pith Helmet)
in this case, being worn by a Royal Artillery (RA) Gunner in Burma.
(Also note Metal Shoulder Titles on Shirt)
Service Helmet and Middle - Far East Bush (Slouch) Hat Patches.
Left - Mk II Helmet with 1918-1947 Pattern RAOC Transfer used by the BEF
Right - Mk II Helmet with painted Arms of Service Strip
Although the colours allocated to the RAOC in W.W.II were changed to blue,
and later red/blue/red, personnel continued to wear blue/red/blue in some overseas theatres.
It is recorded that the RAOC colours of blue/red/blue in a diamond shape being painted on steel helmets worn by RAOC personnel in the BEF 1939/40 , and patches being worn on bush-hats in the Middle and Far East theatres, however, these were square shaped in blue/red/blue vertical bands,
Example of Painted Diamond Shape on Steel Helmet’s Example of Square Shaped Bush-Hat Patch
One other known variety is that worn by RAOC personnel attached to the 19th Indian Division,
it was a dark blue serge square with sides of approx. 2½” and a ¼” red serge stripe running from top right to bottom left.
Example of 2½” Square Patch of RAOC Troops, 19th Indian Division.
Some units also used Metal Shoulder Titles as a method of identification and fixing the flap on the Bush Hat.
As the majority of these patches were produced overseas, a large variety of shapes, sizes and shades of colour exist.