Garter Crest-Should It be Our Hatbadge?

[jeff001]

I have always heard some of the troops, including myself,talk of having our own hat badge, the Garter Crest. As well, having a blue beret. This would give us distinction, instead of just having an "H" on our epilet. I was just wondering if any other Gnr's, in other units feel the same?

 

[311]

I feel it‘s important to keep the arty badge the way it is, because the badge connects us with the history of gunners. A different colour for the beret would be welcome though. I don‘t see why we wear a rifle green coloured beret. I believe blue was also the colour of the old arty uniforms...

 

[birdgunner]

What about the air defence? If the horse arty should get to have the distinction of having a special hat badge, then the air defence should get to have a special hat badge too. God knows we are different!

 

[see829]

I agree that keeping the same arty cap badge is important,but a difrent colour beret would be nice.

 

[elscotto937]

Traditionally, the Royal Horse Artillery wears the Garter crest on thier beret. Since in Canada, the RCHA / RALC are the only operational units which are regular force, it would make sense that we had different hat badge.
Getting the dark navy blue beret, would be good, but at the very least batteries that support armoured regiments, should be wearing the black beret.
And the Air Defence should get a airforce blue beret, ok I‘m joking there. I don‘r disagree that the AD should have something different.

 

[jeff001]

Being in an RCHA Regt,and seeing the Royal Cypher everywhere,wearing the hat badge,makes it hard to identify with the unit in which we belong.
Basically, from the time we wake up in the morning(we wear the Cypher on our PT kit),driving to the gun park,(the Cypher is on all our buildings),after passing the HQ (where the Cypher hangs on a huge wood carving,plus of course on the flag).Everywhere with in the Regt it is seen. Even on our COLOURS. We are the only combat arms unit in the CF who does not wear a representation of their colours or guidon on there uniform.Probably the only unit in the CF who does not wear a representation of their unit flag, even base side does that. Like I said it makes it hard to identify with the unit in which we belong.

 

[muskrat89]

Well, there‘s some History here to dismantle first - every artillery unit in the Commonwealth wears the same cap badge. I can understand your angst, but some of us older guys like being unique in that we all belong to The Regiment. Navy blue beret I‘m cool with

 

[muskrat89]

The current hat badge for the troops in the Regiments, means nothing. Those of us that wear RCHA should be wearing the proper hat badge not someting that a TQ 3 recriut should be issued at the begining of a course.

If Gunners‘ cap badge means "nothing" to them - that‘s a problem with themselves, not "the system".

The cap badge you are wearing is "the proper" one - find a copy of the Standing Orders.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

"Means nothing"???? I was ready to try something different for employment but since there was no way I could fathom wearing a different hatbadge,[remuster] I got out. No hatbadge was better than changing hatbadges for me.

 

[muskrat89]

Thanks Bruce - my point exactly.

Scott - I‘m almost certain that the RCHA garter crest has never been worn on the beret. The only thing that has changed, for a long, long time is the Crown.

Maybe if they taught Unit History a little more, the cap badge would mean something....

 

[elscotto937]

37B,
I have been told of the Garter Crest as a hat badge for the RHA, I must check in to that, because I admit it very well could be an Arty urban legend. Yes you are absolutely correct the Canadian Arty Cap badge has changed little, I believe, the Crown and the replacement of Canada with Ubique.
I concur, Regt history should be taught more. But I think that Tech is talking about at the very least standardizing the method of obtaining the hat badge. When one person dedicates a great deal of work, time and effort to obtaining thier hat badge. Then others recieve the same hat badge for little or no work, it devalues the right of passage, and the object itself. For example, there was discussion on another forum ref the Canada 125 Medal, and many mentioned that because the medal was given out to anyone, a few were given out for very good reasons, but these are not the medals remembered, therefore the medal is worthless... I‘m not sure if you get what I‘m saying.

 

[elscotto937]

http://www.regiments.org/milhist/uk/arty/RHA.htm#unif

Ok, Please Check out the Cap Badge portion..

 

[muskrat89]

Don‘t people receive their Artillery cap badge upon completion of their trades course (Gun Numbers, in my day lol)? Maybe you are referring to Militia vs Regular? I guess I‘m not 100% clear on your point. Little or no work? I think you need to clarify. So a WO with 22 years service should wear a different cap badge than you, based on that logic? If you‘re arguing the Militia vs Regular argument... that one is as old as dirt, and has been beat to death. Guess what? There‘s people in my Company that don‘t work as hard as me, and they get paid more.....

 

[muskrat89]

Right. My mistake. I thought you were referring to RCHA.

 

[elscotto937]

37B, I was not really trying to make a point other than clarifing tech‘s position, at least what I believe to be tech‘s position. I do not know whether or not troop recieve thier cap badge after completing some training, or not, but that‘s what his post would seem to indicate. I do know that officers get a cap badge without any training. What I‘m saying is a standardized right of passage to recieve a cap badge, would mean more.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Back in 78 we got ours in the field after we had all fired at least one round. This was about 2/3‘s of the way through our TQ3 course. I dont know the way its done now. :rocket:

 

[RCA]

To clarify the point, all gunners in Canada belong to "The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery" and the hat badge of the Artillery is the gun (bearing both our mottos, something the garter doesn‘t.

T0 be presented with the hatbadge is still the same in the Regulars and Reserves, you must have pulled the laynard after the pre-requiste QL3 (new - MOC DP1) which are different but the actually gunnery portion are quite similar.

My thoughts on the beret, IMHO its the hatbadge that tells people who we are whether its is on a green or blue beret.

 

[jeff001]

SCOTT937 We still have the same way of getting our hat badge, we have to fire our first round during TQ3, once everyone does this we get detachments rear, and our presented our hat badge.Before this everyone was issued a hat badge, the laynard was what the troops strived to obtain. What we want now is the difference between the Air Defence, RCA and the RCHA. The Armoured Corps use the fist and recieve they‘re Regt hat badge in unit, the infantry recieve the DUCIMUS hat badge in TQ 3. Our troops wear the cornflake,great for morale.
The RCA units wear they‘re Regt‘s designation ie.3 RCA. So what if the the RCHA wants to wear our own hat badge, for all the RCHA Regt‘s. Its our decision.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

TECH There is so much wrong with your last post here. " Its our decision". You can‘t really type that with a straight face I hope. That would be like saying the pers in the CAR got to decide whether they should disband or not. There are things to consider like tradition, values and more importantly a little respect for those who have gone [and sometimes fallen] before you. As for the moral factor in wearing the cornflake I can tell you that no one has seen a happier bunch of idiots than the day we recieved our hat badges. What a boost in the arm for a tired group of recruits. Maybe these days with shorter basics and trades training, these boosts are not required as much as back then. Did‘nt mean to ramble but everyone try to have as good a Christmas as possible over there. CHEERS

 

[jeff001]

Bruce Monkhouse, sorry for the joke about its our decision. I‘m pretty sure that I‘ve heard your name echoed in the hallowed halls of Z 104. Why did E-Bty (para) wear a maroon beret,why was D-Bty always AMF(L),why was F Bty "Fighting Fox", unit pride? That was done at the sub unit level. Now newly graduated Field Gnr‘s must endure the constant are you Air Defence? Are you Militia? How do you think that affects new troops.Listening to them,not very well.Yes some have gone before and some have have fallen, but no matter what, the same thing was always on the barrel.