You will by now be aware that our issue of MTP has arrived in the County and is being distributed via the CAAs on a one-for-one exchange with CS95. I fully expect that all CFAVs will be wearing MTP by the end of Feb, less any adults who have yet to supply their sizing sheets. And yes, brown boots will eventually be issued!
We will also shortly be issued with rank slides, which will be a generic "ACF" slide. I would like to canvas your opinion on the idea of producing a cloth County Badge for adults to wear. I am not convinced that we should procure a County rank slide as I am aware and support the strong Regimental and Corps loyalties which I know exist and are currently displayed on slides. A better option might be to go for a badge.
If we go ahead with a badge it would have to appear on the left arm (where Bde flashes usually go) and not on the right arm as it would not be a TRF.
My own thoughts would be for a Kent badge, with the white horse, probably on a red background in the shape of a shield. Something not unlike the badge at the top of this blog!
If we go ahead I would like to go to Annual Camp with a new collective adult badge, so I would welcome your thoughts over the next few weeks.
Could I ask regular (if there are any!) visitors to this blog to forward this post to colleagues so that we can gauge the feelings of a wide spread of the adult community.
Sir, I like the idea of a county shield as you describe it, as the saying goes it does what it says on the tin!!
ReplyDeleteI think a Kent badge would be a brilliant idea myself.
ReplyDeleteBrown boots Issued? Does that mean we dont have to buy them!?
Sir, a good idea, it will also make the procurement of rank slides easier as Kent will not need to be added to them.
ReplyDeleteSir,
ReplyDeleteWould be great to see the Invicta horse as a county badge, gets my vote.
Not 100% sold on the idea of the adults being in MTP and the cadets being in DPM, would have been better to have rolled across the AI's and Cadets in one go. The brown boots idea, well I have always wore black boots so that's going to a strange experience looking down at brown boots.
I very much support the principle of the County Regimental identity that logically follows from the adoption of a Kent ACF County badge. ‘Invicta’ (meaning ‘unvanquished’) the white horse of Kent is in my view a striking and singularly appropriate insignia for Kent ACF.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be the case that Kent ACF Shooting teams were awarded a county colours badge based on the white horse (I have a feeling the badges were actually Scout badges) and they were an attractive addition to the cadets’ brassards. Some other ACF counties have adopted a county badge and I have always thought it a shame that we as one of the largest ACF counties have not had one. For example, Staffordshire ACF have a Glider badge adopted from their former county regiment, Wiltshire ACF have a rather odd looking bird and North Eastern ACF Counties have a ‘TT’ badge (Tyne Tees).
My one note of caution is as to whether red and white is an appropriate colour for the badge given that presumably it will be issued to CFAVs and cadets alike. It occurs to me that it is very likely that a badge with a large white colour content will become grubby very quickly when sewn onto a cadet’s velcro panel – similar issues will arise with those CFAV NCOs and Officers who regularly escape the dubious ‘comforts’ of camp and spend much of ATC out in the field with their cadets. I wonder whether it would be better to specify such a badge in subdued colours – green/black or possibly brown/fawn. For instance the 2 Brigade badge is properly red and white, but the issued arm badge for S95 clothing is green/black.
Regards
Capt. James Bilsland
As far as boots are concerned, I understand that it is intended to issue brown boots, but given that the regular army has not yet received its issue of brown boots, there is likely to be a delay... Alan you won't have to give up your black boots quite yet...
ReplyDeleteSir
ReplyDeleteI agree that the idea of an insignia in the form of the Kent white horse gets my vote too, the colour has to be white, if is black could we not be mistake for part of Natwest. I would assume that CFAV Adults purchase extra badge possible to use whilst in the field?
I don't believe there is an issue with brown boots, I had to wear sandy brown (desert wellies) boots in my time and whether there black or brown, its not the colour of the boots but the person in them that makes the differents.
Regards
Andy