Cap Badge & Buckle -St. Andrew

[Mael Coluim]

I’ve made two recent purchases that I’m excited about. In prior postings I’ve mentioned a great uncle James Robertson who was a soldier in the Liverpool Kings (1916 – 1950). There is a division within the Kings called the Scottish Liverpool. They were kilted and comprised of Scots living in Liverpool.

On eBay there was a cap badge offered of the Scottish Liverpool of the WWII era. Well I was the winning bid of one and I show it below. Notice the St. Andrew.


The week before I had been in contact with my friends at Canterbury Pewter and acquired this kilt belt buckle. Shown here with my weathered SWK McKenzie tartan is the buckle and who should be on it but St. Andrew! The same week I learned that at the formation of the Scottish Liverpool their tartan was the McKenzie!


Can any of you familiar with this type of cap badge recommend the correct way to attach it? There is no pin just two small eyelets on the back.

[James MacMillan]

One of the old Cap Badges that I have is attached with a very thin cotter pin.

The two eyelets are punched through the material of choice and it passes through the two eyelets, after the two eyelets are punched through the material of choice. Thereby holding it on.

Hope this helps.

[O'Neille]

The eyes go through two holes. Like little button holes. Then a cotter pin goes through the eyes. I've even seen two small cotter pins used with small plastic washers on heavier pins.

[Archangel]

The badge you have comes from after 1937. Prior to that they were not connected to the Camerons.

What you will appreciate is that the Liverpool Scottish have one of the best historical website out there. Probably most of your questions can be answered there.

They have a great Trench warfare site, look for it on the side menu of this page.

[Mael Coluim]

You guys are a wealth of knowledge. THANKS!

[PiobBear]

Use an awl or marlinspike to poke the holes, instead of something like a leather punch that cuts a hole. This way when the felt relaxes, it'll tighten 'round the base of the rings.

[macwilkin]

The same week I learned that at the formation of the Scottish Liverpool their tartan was the McKenzie!

The Liverpool Scottish Rifle Volunteers wore Mackenzie; when the battalion was raised for service in the South African War, though, their tartan was the Forbes tartan.

BTW, Basil Rathbone, aka Sherlock Holmes, served as an intelligence officer in the Liverpool Scottish during the First World War:

http://www.basilrathbone.net/biography/kilt.jpg

That's a great piece of personal history there -- wear it with pride.

Cheers,

Todd

[Nervous Jock]

Here is the link to the Liverpool Scottish Webpage on the Army site

http://www.army.mod.uk/kcr/acoy/live...sh_platoon.htm

Its a shame now they are just down to a platoon, when they went to 5/8 Kings in 92 they were the largest Company in the Batallion (they were a Rifle Coy & Atk platoon).

The OC at the time fought tooth and nail to keep the tartan which the Kingsmen wanted to lose. IIRC they turned up on rememberance that year in full highland rig putting the rest of the Battalion to shame.


Again from memory there was something that prompted me to to think the Company Commander was also by position Forbes Clan Chief, perhaps my memory fails me on that one.

As an aside one of the few regiments to have a double VC winner


http://www.chavasse.u-net.com/chavasse.html

[Dirk Skene]

That is nice. The detail is extraordinary.