The latest blog on the CWGC Fromelles website includes a sentence which reads:

“British items seem to be fewer in number but on Friday a Fusiliers badge was recovered from Grave Three, possibly from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment which served at Fromelles.”

Am I missing something? Why would a fusilier’s badge be associated with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment? Or perhaps they don’t mean “a fusiliers badge” ……

V.

Victoria

I am not speaking from any position of knowledge. The Warwickshire Regimental Museum web site refers to the Regiment in 1963 becoming parts of the brigade of Fusiliers. Are they mixing up the names in a more modern context?

http://www.warwickfusiliers.co.uk/default....id=29&id=39

Its actually a question I had planned to ask tomorrow at the relatives meeting in Warwick- what evidence have you actually found of Royal Warwickshires? Particularly the 2/7th who did actually reach the German trenches.

Richard

Thank you, Richard. I’m aware of the amalgamation of the Royal Warwicks with the other Fusilier regiments, but before winging off an e-mail to those working on the Project, I wanted to be certain that I hadn’t missed anything. I suspect that this is merely the incorrect (or accidentally misleading) use of a name. However, if they have uncovered a “fusilier’s” badge, contemporaneous with 1916, then this could be vitally important.

Good luck with tomorrow’s Relatives’ Meeting. We’re all waiting to hear the outcome. I very much doubt that they will be able to answer this particular sort of question. They have been tasked with contacting the relatives and answering questions relevant to the DNA testing and, possibly, next year’s reburials, but fingers crossed that they will know a little more information and will be willing to impart it.

V.

I wonder if they mean the "flaming grenade" badge?

That’s what I mentally pictured when I first read the blog. What I’m trying to establish is whether or not that type of badge would have been in any way connected with The Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1916. My research has thrown up a “Royal Fusiliers” connection with only one of our missing British men. It means nothing, but I’m keen to establish a link if there is a link there.

V.

The "flaming grenade" was used by several regiments and Corps, but I do not believe the Warwicks was among them. I am sure one of our uniform/insignia experts will correct me if I am wrong.

Thank you, Chris. I haven't been able to trace a connection with the Warwicks, but that doesn't mean anything .......

V.

It was IIRC used as a Sleeve Badge for Battalion "Bombers" ???
but how they would connect a lone sleeve badge to the Warwicks is anybodies guess?

How indeed? Thanks for your help, though. Having been completely shut out of the project (along with everyone else who had any prior connection with PW), I must be quite honest and admit that I generally avoid the Fromelles blog (it’s less painful that way), but Mel mentioned the discovery of the “fusilier’s” badge and my ears pricked up. The whole problem with the blog is that we are being drip-fed small gobbets of information which don’t inform at all. They merely add to the general speculation. I’ll e-mail David Richardson (Fromelles Project Manager) and see if he can shed any light on the “discovery”.

V.

I asked about this on Monday at the relatives meeting when in the Regimental Museum but nobody was able to answer

Richard

Grenade badge, worn by battalion "bombers" - a similar badge was also worn by Infantry Light Trench Mortar teams as well IIRC. However, as these in the main IIRC were cloth badges, is it likely that a recognisible specimen would have survived?

Perhaps it is just that the person reporting was not entirely aware (being polite) of the origin or identification of the badge they were speaking about.

At some time after WW2 IIRC and before the 1968 amalgamations forming the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the Royal Warwickshire became Fusiliers - the wore a yellow hackle at the time IIRC also.