During World War I the need to identify friendly troops in assaulting formations was made difficult by the new dispersion of troops across the battlefield. Beginning with the arrival of large number of Kitchener's Army troops in 1915, and widespread after the Battle of the Somme of 1916, each battalion of a division would have a particular sign of a distinctive coloured cloth patch, either sewn to the uniform jacket (on the sleeves, or the back of the tunic), or painted on the helmet.[1] These distinguishing marks, known as "Battle Patches" were distinct from the Division signs, and were for the most part simple shapes and colours. The scheme for these Battle patches could be decided at division or brigade level or be based on regimental colours or insignia, and was in some cases continued down to company or even platoon level. This system did not prevent duplication across the divisions, a red square was worn by at least 14 battalions.[2] In most divisions the brigade could be deduced by the shape (for example 50th (Northumbrian)), colour (for example 55th (West Lancashire)) or design theme (for example 23rd) of the patch. Few divisions had a scheme of patches that had a specific brigade patch; those divisions which had such a scheme are shown below.
59th, 60th, and 61st Brigade patches. These patches were worn by all in the brigade on both sleeves with the infantry battalions wearing a number of bars under the sign to indicate seniority.
92nd, 93rd and 94th Brigade patches. These patches were worn by all in the brigade on the back below the collar. Battalion signs were worn on the sleeves which could also be used to deduce the brigade.
14th, 96th and 97th Brigade patches. These patches were worn by all in the brigade on the sleeves, with the infantry battalions adding bars below it indicating seniority, the same in each brigade.
122nd, 123rd and 124th Brigade signs. These were not worn in the uniform, but used on sign posts and vehicles. The infantry battalions used numbers (or letters) in the sign as further identification.
World War II British battledress arm of service (corps) colours
By the start of the Second World War, the British Army prohibited all identifying marks on its Battle Dress uniforms in 1939 save for drab (black or white on khaki) regimental or corps (branch) slip-on titles, and even these were not to be worn in the field. In May 1940 this was reinforced by Army Council Instruction (ACI) 419 prohibiting all formation marks on uniforms.[9]
In September 1940 formation patches were authorized by ACI 1118 to identify the wearer's independent brigade or brigade group.[10] A Brigade "Formation Badge" was sometimes worn when the formation was not attached to a division, as an Independent Infantry Brigade or brigade group (with attached other arms and services). When part of a division the infantry of a brigade wore one or more arm of service strips (2 inches (5.1cm) by 1⁄4 inch (0.64cm)), red for infantry, dark green for Rifle Regiments, indicating brigade seniority, one for the senior brigade, two for the intermediate and three for the junior.[10] As an independent brigade or brigade group the infantry would only wear one strip, the other arms would also wear their arm of service strip. Battalion specific or general regimental patches, in addition to the shoulder title, could also be worn below the arm of service stripe, but the cost of these had to be borne from regimental funds, not the War Office.[11]
In the British Army, ACI 1118 specified that the design for the formation sign should be approved by the general officer commanding the formation and reported to the War Office.[12] A further order of December 1941 (ACI 2587) specified the material of the uniform patch as printed cotton (ordnance issue), this replaced the embroidered felt (or fulled wool) or metal badges used previously. In other theatres the uniform patch could be made from a variety of materials including printed or woven cotton, woven silk, leather or metal embroidered felt (or fulled wool).[13]
Aside from the deployment to Germany in the British Army of the Rhine, the employment of divisions has been rare since the Second World War, with Brigades often being the primary field formation.
Brigades consisting of supporting units maintain their own insignia as well. For use in the field the patches are also issued in subdued colours, green-black, sand shades or tan-black.[50]
Soldier from the 16th Air Assault Brigade prepares to raise the Union FlagAfghanistan Service Medal Parade, note 52nd Infantry Brigade insignia
Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2. Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
Cole (2), Howard, N (1953). Badges on Battledress, Post-War Formation Signs; Rank and Regimental Insignia. Aldershot: Gale and Polden.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Davis, Brian L (1983). British Army Uniforms & Insignia of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN0853686092.
Davis (2), Brian L (1985). British Army Cloth Insignia. 1940 to the present. An illustrated reference guide for collectors. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN0853687099.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Hibbard, Mike; Gibbs, Gary (2016). Infantry Divisions, Identification Schemes 1917 (1ed.). Wokingham: The Military History Society.
Hodges, Lt. Col Robin (2005). British Army Badges. Butler and Tanner Ltd. ISBN9780955146305.
Watson, Graham E; Rinaldi, Richard A (2005). The British in Germany (BAOR and After): An Organizatinal History. Tiger Lily Publications. ISBN9780972029698.
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Formation signs at the division level were first introduced in the British Army in the First World War. They were intended (initially) as a security measure to avoid displaying the division's designation in the clear. They were used on vehicles, sign posts and notice boards and were increasingly, but not universally, worn on uniform as the War progressed. Discontinued by the regular army after 1918, only a few Territorial divisions continued to wear them before 1939. Reintroduced officially in late 1940 in the Second World War, divisional formation signs were much more prevalent on uniforms and were taken up by many other formations, independent brigades, corps, armies, overseas and home commands, military districts and lines of communication areas. The sign could be based on many things, geometry, heraldry, regional or historical associations, a pun, the role of the division or a combination.
This page displays the formation signs of higher formations of the British Army during the First and Second World Wars, and after. For completeness it also shows those signs of Commonwealth and Empire formations which fought alongside the British, and multi national formations they were a part of. In addition to the field forces, lines of communication and home rear echelon formation signs are also shown.
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