Quote:
Originally Posted by Darrell Zinck
Hi All
Darrell hasn't posted in a while because, more often than not, he can't get in!!! 
Glen
Yes, your GF is wearing the cap and collar badges of the Canadian Armoured Corps (CAC). Issued in 1940 though never "officially" authorized as such. Thet were all siver in colour. You may now know we didn't gain the "Royal" prefix until after the war in Europe ended and didn't adopt the mailed fist badge for Corps Troops until July 1949. PPS is pretty spot on. Student and Staff (all ranks) of the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicle School (CAFVS) wore it as well as those going over seas as re-inforcements. Not uncommon at all for those who hadn't been Regimented yet. If he was an Ontario Regiment (Ont R) Officer, those badges would have came later.
No Ont R badges seen in that pic of the three. The centre chap's is a puzzzle as it's very hard to see but possibly Halifax Rifles (HR) Officers capbadge based on the shape and pointy bits locations. No other WW2 Armoured Regiment's capbadges match what I can see. Of the 32 units that served in the Corps during WW2 the HR looks closest to what that chap in the centre is wearing. I looked carefully at my collection of those unit's capbadges (missing just 3 but it's still a work in progress) and will say likely HR.
As for the sleeve patch, that was first used in 1938 to identify the Staff at the CAFVS and later Students of the various Canadian Armoured Corps Schools.
The name changes our Corps and it's schools went through can get a bit confusing at times!! Depend when that pic was taken, I guess. Any idea what month and year? What was your GF's name and do you know his ser #? PM/email it if you like. I may be able dig up a bit more unless you already have his file. Is he deceased? WW2 files aren't too too hard to get if you're family.
Hope that helps you. 
regards
Darrell |
Ref the AFV school cap badge, KC, Laurel Wreath, Canada, Mk V tank...Somewhere in my fuzzified brain there's something telling me that there were two types of this badge. One had the sponsons of the tank contained within the Laurel Wreath, the other had the sponsons extending beyond the Laurel Wreath. I'm fairly ceretain that it has been nailed down that the type with the sponsons inside the Wreath were the school AFV type. The other....????