This field covers, in the main, headdress badges of many different parts of the world, but also includes cross-belt plates, etc. An interesting example is the parallel existence of regimental badges for the British and Austrian armies, fighting on opposing sides in WW1, something unique to these two countries. Good reference books include: Kipling & King's two volumes on headdress badges of the British Army; John Gaylor's book on cap badges of the British Army; Ashok Nath's book, Izzat: Historical Records and Iconography of Indian Cavalry Regiments 1750-2007 (published 2009 by the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research United Service Institution of India), a superb rendering of this extremely complex subject, beautifully illustrated. Ashok Nath's website is at: http://sites.google.com/site/anath53/home

This is a Soviet inspired piece, with a typical Russian style wreath of ears of wheat, hence it must be of a fairly late date, perhaps 1980s somewhere. The pagoda device in the centre is the Afghan emblem.

This is the badge which was worn on the pouch belt by the officers of the British Indian police. The police was divided into two components in India: the paramilitary police battalions who served on the frontiers (viz Burma and NWF) and the local police, who kept order in the cities and towns of India.

This is a bazaar casting of the badge of what could possibly be from a bandsman's pouch or perhaps an officer's undress pouch belt. The 4th Hussars were a prestigious British light cavalry regiment and no doubt this badge was cast in the bazaar to replace a British original which had been lost.

This little badge (7.5cm across) may be of Indian parentage, inasmuch as its provenance is Indian and it appears to be a one-peice bazaar casting in brass. I think it would have been worn on the top pocket of a tunic, as it appears to be too large to have been worn as a shoulder title.

The Duke of Atholl was the only man in Britain allowed to raise a private army, so this might well be for his unit. However, other members of his clan/family would have been entitled to wear this.

This could be a US piece for the Union kepi or the Hardee hat, which was a black felt slouch hat with a turned up brim. Alternatively it could be for some colonial Dutch or Boer unit. It is head insignia because of the two pairs of holes punched for stitching attachment at either end of one of the canons and the brass prongs sweated on at the back.

This could be Russian or East European and would have been worn perhaps on a sealskin fur cap, rather like those worn by our own Rifle Brigade at the turn of the century. It is essentially a brass badge with a silver wash, together with gilt metal inserts filled with dark (possibly black) enamel.

This little badge (which could possibly be made of unmarked silver) is possibly Austrian or Belgian. It has stitch holes at either end of the bugle and would have been worn on a soft peak cap.

This commemorates the service of the Gloucestershire Regiment in Egypt in 1801, unique in the annals of the British Army, inasmuch as they are the only regiment to wear the back badge commemorating the moment when the rear file of the regiment was ordered to turn around and fire at the French who were attempting to take them from behind.

This is an official award for a member of the French Resistance, with the Cross of Lorraine, the great symbol of France's resistance to the Germans in both wars, but specifically in the 2nd, together with other images of regional insignia. There is '269' punched on the reverse.