# Help ID'ing a badge - may not be Canadian.



## Redeye (29 Oct 2008)

I'm hoping someone can help a friend of mine who is trying to get more information on this picture.

http://imagearts.ryerson.ca/sfay/soldier.jpg

I cannot figure out what the badge is - the uniform doesn't look Canadian to me either, but I'm not enough of an expert to be able to figure out what it is - hoping someone might recognize it though.  I took a look through a few British historical websites but can't find the badge, and there's not enough detail of buttons, no collar dogs, nothing to ID the picture at all.  Anything anyone can tell me would be appreciated.


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## Riobeard (29 Oct 2008)

Looks like a Headdress badge is for Machine Gun Corps, British Army, approx 1909 - See reference and picture of same at http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=319206
Hard to see but the buttons on the tunic would likely have a similar design.
Hope that helps.


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## Blackadder1916 (29 Oct 2008)

Riobeard said:
			
		

> Looks like a Headdress badge is for Machine Gun Corps, British Army, approx 1909 - See reference and picture of same at http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=319206 . . .



While it may likely be a capbadge of the "Machine Gun Corps" it may not necessarily be British Army.  It could be Canadian Machine Gun Corps (A History of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps).  Noting the lack of detail in the photo, some variations of the badges of both were almost identical.  As for "approx 1909", that sounds a little unusual since the Machine Gun Corps of the British Army was "created by Royal Warrant on October 14th, 1915, followed by an Army Order on 22nd October".


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## Redeye (29 Oct 2008)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> While it may likely be a capbadge of the "Machine Gun Corps" it may not necessarily be British Army.  It could be Canadian Machine Gun Corps (A History of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps).  Noting the lack of detail in the photo, some variations of the badges of both were almost identical.  As for "approx 1909", that sounds a little unusual since the Machine Gun Corps of the British Army was "created by Royal Warrant on October 14th, 1915, followed by an Army Order on 22nd October".



Canadian MG Corps had a scroll emblazoned CANADA beneath the Vickers Guns.  I can't figure out where he's from though - he doesn't appear to be British.  The mystery continues.  Thanks for the help, thus far.


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## tomahawk6 (29 Oct 2008)

Did find these Royal Machine Gun Corps cap badge. It appears that the badge with a scroll under it MMG is the badge for the Motorized Machine Gun Corps.


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## Redeye (29 Oct 2008)

Thanks T6 - that's definitely the badge!


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## tomahawk6 (29 Oct 2008)

The Royal Naval Division Machine Gun Corps cap badge had the initials RND under the guns.

http://www.britishbadge.co.uk/popup_image.php?pID=546


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## Blackadder1916 (30 Oct 2008)

Redeye said:
			
		

> Canadian MG Corps had a scroll emblazoned CANADA beneath the Vickers Guns.  . . .



While CMGC capbadges may have been commonly seen with a Canada scroll, badges without the scroll were also issued to Canadian MG soldiers.  Babin's Cap Badges of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1914-1919 Illustrated indicates that several types of general service cap badges were issued to MG bns.  See entries in index and at drawing 31-1.


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## Greymatters (30 Oct 2008)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> While CMGC capbadges may have been commonly seen with a Canada scroll, badges without the scroll were also issued to Canadian MG soldiers.  Babin's Cap Badges of the Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1914-1919 Illustrated indicates that several types of general service cap badges were issued to MG bns.  See entries in index and at drawing 31-1.



Nice one, I didnt even know that book existed...


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## TheNomad (4 Nov 2008)

I know I am being pedantic, but we like to get these thing right.

It is indeed the Machine Gun Corps.  It was not a Royal corps.

In addition to the variety of MGC badges mentioned above for NZ, RND etc, there was also a Guards Machine Gun Battalion, which later expended into the Guards Machine Gun Regiment, both of which had their own badges which were very different and not a variation on a theme as the previously mentioned badges were.


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