Old Accoutrements

[exspy]

Interesting times, not one I would have liked to have gone through. It's also interesting that 3 Mech Commando didn't seem to wear collar dogs. Was that a "thing" in those days?

Collar badges were not authorized because everyone was supposed to look unified. One uniform, one CAF. No element distinctions.

Hence the new rank flashes. Not Army, Navy or Air Force. A new unified look. Like a large extended single family.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Collar badges were not authorized because everyone was supposed to look unified. One uniform, one CAF. No element distinctions.

Hence the new rank flashes. Not Army, Navy or Air Force. A new unified look. Like a large extended single family.

When did the roll back start ?

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

When I remember being in Cadets in 75' and 76' I'm pretty sure I saw while at either of Winnipeg's armories rank collar dogs on various people in CF greens ranging from trooper to Warrant Officers.

 

[MacNav63]

When I remember being in Cadets in 75' and 76' I'm pretty sure I saw while at either of Winnipeg's armories rank collar dogs on various people in CF greens ranging from trooper to Warrant Officers.

I was a kid but was pretty interested in this kind of stuff. We were in Germany '71-'74 and by that time 3 Mech Cdo was wearing maroon berets. By the time we came home I'm pretty sure the Vandoos were wearing their old pattern shoulder flashes. My impression of my Dad's perspective was that, at least in what had been the army, the further away you got from NDHQ the more units were willing to take a "beg for forgiveness" or "what they don't see can't hurt them" approach to resurrecting aspects of their pre-unification identities, if they'd ever gone away in the first place.

Oddly enough though, in his case it was the first time his branch, the JAG, really got to adopt an identity. When he'd joined the JAG from the Ordnance Corps he'd switched to the General List cap badge as there was no JAG cap badge or collar dogs. Those came about after unification, along with briefly a black dickie...

 

[MacNav63]

I was a kid but was pretty interested in this kind of stuff. We were in Germany '71-'74 and by that time 3 Mech Cdo was wearing maroon berets. By the time we came home I'm pretty sure the Vandoos were wearing their old pattern shoulder flashes. My impression of my Dad's perspective was that, at least in what had been the army, the further away you got from NDHQ the more units were willing to take a "beg for forgiveness" or "what they don't see can't hurt them" approach to resurrecting aspects of their pre-unification identities, if they'd ever gone away in the first place.

Oddly enough though, in his case it was the first time his branch, the JAG, really got to adopt an identity. When he'd joined the JAG from the Ordnance Corps he'd switched to the General List cap badge as there was no JAG cap badge or collar dogs. Those came about after unification, along with briefly a black dickie...

I seem to recall as well on the air force side, the base commander at Baden was still wearing his RCAF wings, which became an issue. Seems like people were maybe trying to test the limits of what they could get away with, especially with Hellyer out of the picture (that's Donald MacDonald in the picture above).

 

[Blackadder1916]

When did the roll back start ?

Cornwallis Gallery – HMCS/CFB Cornwallis

cornwallismuseum.com

From 1969 . . .


To 1970 . . .


To 1971 (the "army" types are wearing regimental collar dogs - note though, RCN and RCAF did not have collar dogs on their old uniforms)


(edited to add)

And by 1976 collar dogs worn by all branches (they may have been issued earlier but this was the first course photo I was able to find with air and navy pers wearing collar insignia - the air force type, the trade then called "Observer" now AESOP, however was adamant that he was Navy).

 

[OldSolduer]

When I remember being in Cadets in 75' and 76' I'm pretty sure I saw while at either of Winnipeg's armories rank collar dogs on various people in CF greens ranging from trooper to Warrant Officers.

I was issued PPCLI collar badges in 1976

 

[exspy]

Only the second photograph I've ever seen of a Black Watch wearing the cap badge with CF Greens. No Tam with red hackle in the new CF.

​

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

I was issued PPCLI collar badges in 1976

Yeah that would be the right time period.
I am almost certain that who ever originally came up with the CF greens had never taken a day of of psychology or had completely missed day when groups and belonging to them was mentioned.
For some reason I honestly got the impression that they were probably designed with absolutely no adornment rank or service ribbons in mind
Apparently the dress uniform was supposed to bland and bore a potential opponent to death.

 

[OldSolduer]

Yeah that would be the right time period.
I am almost certain that who ever originally came up with the CF greens had never taken a day of of psychology or had completely missed day when groups and belonging to them was mentioned.
For some reason I honestly got the impression that they were probably designed with absolutely no adornment rank or service ribbons in mind
Apparently the dress uniform was supposed to bland and bore a potential opponent to death.

I wonder if the government of the day asked Chairman Mao for input??

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

It didn't take long: By 1975 we were back to wearing trade badges on the collar. I was issued with my anchors right after Summer program. The next year 1976, we got the command badges to wear on the pocket.

 

[Gordon Dundas/]

I wonder if the government of the day asked Chairman Mao for input??

You too !