Colour patch book WW2

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Lang

Mike

One wonders what is the point of scores of colour patches. Division maybe OK or even down to Battalion level but hundreds of variations of minor units are completely useless. I think people would be hard pressed to recognise anything other than their own colour patch.

It just creates a wasteful administrative and supply nightmare. People are constantly moving between units so badge sewing would have been a major pastime. If the pride and morale argument is used would it not be better to have 1 Field Regiment on the patch (with standard Corps background) that everyone, including civilians could read, rather than a couple of colours that nobody but you knows what they mean.

I know from my time in the army most people could not tell you what the tac signs on the vehicles meant and that is their own unit. Not in the hunt of recognizing other unit tac signs. I reckon a large group could not even recognize the background colours for every corps let alone the unit numbers.

Those colour stripes/bars representing numbers could be read by three people in my time though possibly one other person was doing a stripe reading course by the time I got out. Once again, what is the point? Zero security as the enemy would know the colour combinations in the first 10 minutes of a war (no, they know it already) and every person in the world is burdened with an education that told them numbers are indicated by special shape squiggly lines unless of course they were of that abused generation of kids who were so unsuccessfully taught mathematics in a coloured rod failed experiment back in the 70's.

The current decoration of the revered Australian Slouch hat has lost the plot. The single badge on the turned up brim that has been there for over 100 years has now been joined by a large Corps badge on the front and would you believe it, they have now reserected the colour patches on the right side. Looks like an Easter Bonnet.

Still no army in the world has ever been capable of keeping their administration simple.

I feel better now!

Lang

I'm glad you feel better. WW2 Canada went down the coloured patch rabbit hole but it mirrored (for the most part) the shapes and colours used in the Great War. Very little complex geometry, more simple rectangles and diamonds. At first we rejected even them and used a khaki 'CANADA' with removable epaulet slip-ons. In a fit of regimental pride some units and corps were allowed abbreviated initials on their coloured flashes, but nothing over the top. Come 1941 we saw them uppity Brits with regimental titles named after their home towns and counties and historical units and before you could say 1942 we we ablaze with large colourful unit titles on our otherwise subdued battledress.