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In 1919, HQ
AIF directed that personnel posted from their units in the field were to
continue to wear their old unit colour patch. This however led to
difficulty in identification within units still in an operational role
which had been formed or substantially reinforced by personnel from a
variety of disbanding units.
This was overcome by the use of a
second colour patch common to all members of the unit which was worn one
inch below the patch of the wearer's original unit. The first use
of a miniature colour patch to denote previous service with another AIF
unit appears to have commenced in the immediate post First World War
period amongst returned men, who wore a half size patch of their
original AIF unit superimposed on the full size patch of their most
recent AIF unit prior to demobilisation.
No. 11 possibly falls into
this category, while a photograph recently sighted by the author shows a
member of the 5th Aust. Light Horse Regiment circa 1919 with a miniature
colour patch of the 21st Battalion superimposed centrally on the 5th
Light Horse patch, and a brass 'A' superimposed upon this.
There is anecdotal and physical evidence that
other combinations in this fashion have existed.
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The use of miniature colour
patches by serving personnel, originally denoting that the wearer had
served overseas as part of the Australian Imperial Force, was introduced
in 1921, Military Orders No. 206/1921 and 495/1921 providing the
authorities for the Citizen Forces and Permanent Forces respectively.
Miniature colour patches were to be half the dimensions of the full size
patch and were to be worn 1/2 inch below the sleeve head or nationality
title, and above the full size colour patch of the wearer's present
unit. Only the miniature colour patch of one of the wearer's previous
units could be worn at any one time. Miniature colour patches were
provided at private expense.
In May 1931 the Military Board gave approval for
former members of the British Army and other Commonwealth forces, now
serving in the Citizen Forces of the AMF, to wear a miniature patch of
their former unit of the British, or any other Dominion, Army above the
patch of their current Citizen Forces unit. (AA(Vic): CRS B 1535,
item 716/2/285; AHQ(DOS) Memo No.6062, 25.5.193 1.)
Standing Orders for Dress, 1935,
Paragraph 294, stated the following:
- "A member of the Australian
Military Forces who served on active service during the war of
1914-1918, may wear, above the regimental colour patch, a half size
colour patch of the last unit of the A.I.F. (or other Force of the
Empire) in which he so served."
In May 1941, orders relating to
the organization and administration of the RSL Volunteer Defence Corps
directed that personnel were to insert a miniature distinguishing colour
patch of their original AIF unit between the two lines of lettering on
the khaki armband issued to the personnel of this Corps. (MBI
A.53, 15.5.194 1. "R.S.L. Volunteer Defence Corps".)
The use of miniature colour patches by suitably
eligible personnel of the 2nd AIF was not considered desirable by the
Military Board and it was not until August 1941 that action was taken to
allow the use of miniature colour patches by members of this force. (AHQ
Memo No. 57312, dated 8.8.194 1; Arndt to SO Dress 1935, Serial 2 1,
promulgated by AAO 116/1941, 31.8.1941; and GRO 36/1942, 22.5.1942. In
die-case of SO Dress 1935, para. 294 was modified by the deletion of
"...during the war of 1914-1918..", and the insertion of the
word 61overseas" in its place.)
At that stage it was restricted
to personnel who had served with AIF units overseas, or who had been
posted overseas as reinforcements. This policy created considerable
bitterness amongst former personnel who had been honourably discharged
from the 2nd AIF prior to proceeding overseas, and who were now serving
on full time duty with CMF units. The case of these men was taken up by
the Demobilised Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen's Association of Australia,
who strongly lobbied the Minister for the Army for a reconsideration of
the matter. The decision was revised in October 1942 to allow members of
CMF units who had previously served with the 2nd AIF to wear a miniature
colour patch of their former AIF unit, regardless of whether they had
served overseas or not. A similar provision applied to a member of an
AIF unit who transferred to another AIF unit. (GRO A.491/1942,
23.10.1942.)
Members of the CMF who had served overseas with a
CMF unit were not initially allowed to wear a miniature colour patch of
that unit if they transferred to another unit, even if they had
subsequently volunteered for the AIR A similar restriction was placed on
AIF personnel who had served overseas with a CMF unit, and had not
previously served with an AIF unit. They were only entitled to a
miniature colour patch if, prior to their transfer from it, their CMF
unit had been reclassified (AIF). (LHQ(AG) Memo No. 116696, dated
13.7.1943. AA(Vic): MP 742/ 1, item 61/13/108.)
The position in relation to the wearing of
miniature colour patches was not clearly outlined until February 1945.
Paragraphs 7 and 8, GRO 60/1945, setting out principles of wear in
regard to miniature colour patches, are briefly summarised below;
- 7. (i) A member of the AIF was entitled to wear the
miniature colour patch of any previous AIF unit (if any) in which he
had served, or, of any unit with which he had served overseas.
(ii) A member of the CMF who had served overseas was entitled to
wear the miniature colour patch of any unit with which he had served
overseas.
(iii) A member entitled to wear the miniature colour patch of an AIF
unit of the Great War was permitted to do so.
8. A member who changed his colour patch to a standard Arm of
Service design introduced during 1945 because his unit had
transferred to another formation was entitled to wear a miniature of
the previous colour patch approved for his unit if
(i) he was a member of the AIF; or,
(ii) he had served overseas with the unit if the unit was CMF.
Miniature colour patches were
not supplied at public expense, and instructions stipulated that full
size colour patches were not to be cut down to make miniatures. It would
appear that most miniature colour patches were made in bulk by private
contractors, although CCF supplied examples also exist.
Upon the formation of the Citizen Military Forces in 1948 many former
AIF personnel continued to wear the miniature colour patch of their
wartime unit on the sleeves of the service dress jacket. This practice
only ceased upon the issue of battledress and embroidered Corps and
regimental titles.
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