Ordnance Insignia of the British Army

Further Examples of RAOC Shoulder Titles

Light Blue Embroidered ‘AIRBORNE’ on Maroon Felt Background.
with RAOC ‘Arms-of-Service’ Strip below.
Worn by RAOC Soldiers of the 1st Airborne Division prior to changing to the standard
Blue on Scarlet RAOC Shoulder Title, with ‘PEGASUS’ patch and straight ‘AIRBORNE’ strip.
Parachute qualified members filling a Recce or Jumping role wore 'Parachute Wings'
while other parachute trained personnel only wore only a 'Light Bulb'
Glider borne personnel wore a small glider badge on the lower right sleeve.

Red Embroidered ‘R.A.O.C.’ on Dark Navy Blue Felt Background.
 This RAOC title was worn prior to the change of the of Corps Colours to Blue on Red and were not unofficially approved.
(Earlier reports were that Red on Blue were 'post-war' RAOC Commandos. This has now been amended)

Red Embroidered ‘S.C.T.W.' on line one with 'R.A.O.C.' on line two on a Dark Navy Blue Felt Background.
Reported to mean " Southern Command Training Wing" at Victoria Barracks, Portsmouth  pre1942 (see above)
and were worn by instructors at the RAOC 'Officers Training Wing' (OTW)


Red Embroidered ‘BEACH ORDNANCE’ on Dark Navy Blue Felt Background.
Worn by Ordnance Beach Detachments (OBD) from D-Day only.
(Always worn with the ‘BEACH PARTIES’ Red Anchor in Red Circle)


Yellow Embroidered ‘ORDNANCE FIELD PARK’ on Dark Navy Blue Felt Background.
Worn by a so far unidentified 'Ordnance Field Park' (OFP)


So far unidentified Yellow on Navy Blue R.A.O.C. Shoulder Title

Locally Produced ~ Navy Blue Embroidered 'R.A.O.C FAR.E.L.F HONG KONG' on Scarlet Felt Background.
  These RAOC titles would date to the late 40s & 50s and were unofficial.  Soldiers would buy these and have them sewn on their battledress
to be worn on leave, (it was a bit of swank), they would remove them before reporting to the Depot. 

Other known example is one with R.A.O.C. MALAYA on it, (Blue embroidered on Red Felt).  
No doubt there were also titles for Egypt etc. 

This habit would have died out when No.2 dress came in around about 1960

M Comerford - January 2005