Those of us who collect and study/record the insignia of the Australian Army, will be pleased to know, that there is some good news about the still incomplete changeover to the ‘post 1997’ series of insignia which are still slowly being introduced across in the Australian Army’s procurement and supply chain.
In a recent post, we showed the new chrome plated metal shoulder titles for 1st Aviation Regiment, 5th Aviation Regiment and 6th Aviation Regiment. More recently, we have established that the Australian Army Army Nursing Corps insignia set, now includes the newly made (chrome plated) ‘post 1997′ Officers’ large sized hat badge. This development refutes the fairly wide-spread supposition that a post 1997 RAANC Officers’ size (large) hat badge was not being made.
Enquiries are now being made through Canberra, as to the Army’s intention with respect to the issue of an updated Nursing Corps’ brooch, which has still not been seen in the new/’post 1997′ non ferrous metal and chrome plated finish.
In a further insignia supply change, the new style of 24 ct gold-plated metal shoulder titles are now known to be available for issue to members of the Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC). This means that the Legal Corps’ post 1997 (large) hat sized and (smaller) collar size badges (which have been available for service issue over the last 2 years), are now a complete re-issued set of insignia, given the introduction of these new 24 kt gold plated non-ferrous metal shoulder titles.
Photographs of the Nursing Corps and the Legal Corps issue items have been provided below. Further posts will be made as the remaining re-manufactured/updated insignia are introduced to the Army’s procurement and supply chain. Collectors will be aware that chief among those remaining insignia replacements, are a significant number of stamped brass shoulder titles in chrome finish, for various armoured units.
We hope you have enjoyed this update on metal uniform embellishment for the Australian Army, coming as it does on ANZAC Day 2018
Lest we EVER forget
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