# Hat Badge Dates?



## chrisf (12 Jan 2011)

So I seem to have built a collection of signals hat badges...

I was wondering if anyone had any idea of the dates for the hat badges? Not specific dates, but date ranges for each. I'm guessing at time frames for each, but have no real idea.

1 x RC Sigs Hat Badge, kings crown (I'm assuming WWII?)

1 x RC Sigs Hat Badge, queens crown (Post WWII - Unification?

1 x Metal CELE (Post unification - mid 90s?)

1 x Embroidered CELE Yellow Thread (Mid  90s to Early 2000?)

1 x Embroided CELE Gold Thread (Early 2000 to now?)

Any other had badges used post WWII?


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## Sig_Des (12 Jan 2011)

Check this link out, got quite a bit of info on cap badges, and if that doesn't give you what you need, try contacting the curator at the C&E museum.

http://www.rcsigs.ca/ViewGroup/Item/Canada/Army/Uniforms-and-Insignia/Cap-Badges/Page/1/

http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/contacts.htm


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## REDinstaller (17 Jan 2011)

The change in cloth capbadges is more a contract than branch driven thing. I think all cloth capbadges are now made the same with the gold thread vice yellow.


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## chrisf (17 Jan 2011)

Maybe, though I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it, but I know I've seen a poster of some sort showing Canadian hat badges, and a photo of the yellow thread sigs hat badge and the words "obsolete" next to it... I remember because it ended an argument, my supervisor was hell bent I was wearing the wrong hat badge (gold thread) and his was the proper "new" hat badge (yellow thread). He refused to believe I had gone to the tailor to check for the "new" (yellow thread) hat badges.

It was rather silly, because two feet away you can't tell the difference anyway.


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## REDinstaller (17 Jan 2011)

And i'm sure the only reason it was obsolete is because the NSN changed with the new contract. I still wear the old ones. They don't look so officerish.


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## PuckChaser (17 Jan 2011)

Tango18A said:
			
		

> And i'm sure the only reason it was obsolete is because the NSN changed with the new contract. I still wear the old ones. They don't look so officerish.



Is it that, or the fact that finding Jimmy capbadges at clothing stores are like trying to find a needle in a haystack?  >


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## REDinstaller (17 Jan 2011)

Nope not at all, I got 4 at the last gun show that I went to. I go get my own, don't really care if the new type are free, just like berets. Haven't taken an issue one since my initial issue. Always buy them.


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## chrisf (18 Jan 2011)

Tango18A said:
			
		

> And i'm sure the only reason it was obsolete is because the NSN changed with the new contract. I still wear the old ones. They don't look so officerish.



Plus the yellow thread doesn't fade to to brown the same way the gold does...


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## REDinstaller (18 Jan 2011)

And the old ones seem to be easier to clean too.


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## chrisf (18 Jan 2011)

That's actually how I ended up with this collection of hat badges... I bought one of the yellow ones on e-bay, then saw a few older ones cheap... one thing leads to another, and suddenly, e-bay additiction... I can't even afford my crack-cocaine any more.


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## REDinstaller (18 Jan 2011)

Well if you're not part of the MES team you shouldn't need it.  >


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## chrisf (18 Jan 2011)

No wonder the price went up...


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## REDinstaller (18 Jan 2011)

Yep, the Bad Idea Fairy thrives on crack.


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## Rheostatic (26 Jan 2011)

Stumbled on this:


			
				http://www.commelec.forces.gc.ca/org/his/bh-hb/chapter-chapitre-06-eng.asp said:
			
		

> On 10 April 1972 the C & E cap badge was approved. This badge was unique in that the cap badge differed from the approved branch badge. The cap badge has a light blue background as opposed to dark blue while the Mercury figure is of white metal rather than yellow of the Branch badge.


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## pronto91 (17 Feb 2011)

1 x RC Sigs Hat Badge, kings crown 

- if it has the word 'Royal' in the oval then it's 1922-1953. 
- if no Royal then 1922-1935.

1 x RC Sigs Hat Badge, queens crown (Post WWII - Unification?

- 1953 - 1974 (that's the latest I've seen pictures with it still being worn)

1 x Metal CELE (Post unification - mid 90s?)

- until the Forage cap was discontinued. Can't recall exact date.

1 x Embroidered CELE Yellow Thread (Mid  90s to Early 2000?)
1 x Embroided CELE Gold Thread (Early 2000 to now?)

Not sure exactly but this was a contract/manufacturing change vice a change in badge design.


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## REDinstaller (17 Feb 2011)

The older cloth badge has never been retired. I have never had the new style, and never will. Neither have I been questioned about it. It is more a contract then a heraldry change.


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