Anti Aircraft Batteries

The first badge worn was by the 2 AA Bty in 1964. In 1970 a new design was introduced for the 2nd and 3rd Batteries.

 

Air Defence Regiment

The Regiment adopted a single badge circa 1982/1983 which was replaced by the all Batteries set in 1985. With the establishment of the Reserve Defence Forces in 2005 new badges were introduced for the three Reserve batteries 2, 3 and 4 and was worn until 2012.

RDF 2005 Issue

RDF 2012-2013 Issue - Same design as 2005 but a slight change in colour

Field Artillery Regiments

These are the badges worn up to the reorganisation in 2013. After that only 1st FAR, 2nd FAR and Artillery School remained.

Variations

RDF Artillery Units

The three badges introduced in 2005 for the new Reserve Artillery Regiments. Worn until 2012 when they were disbanded.

2005 issue

2012 - 2013 issue

Field Artillery Batteries

This section covers the Batteries of Artillery Regiments. All these Batteries were FCA , in the early 1970's all the badges ceased to be worn except for the 5th Artillery.

These badges show the progression of the badge from 1968 to 2005.

The first series had a red border which was replaced by a yellow border on subsequent orders of the badge.

Both these series were worn with a title.

In 1987 the series was produced without the title and in 1996 four batteries were produced 4, 7, 13 & HQ.

Coast Defence Artillery

The CDA badge was introduced in 1972. The badge without F.C.A. was worn by the Cadre staff. It is debatable as to whether there were two badges made or the cadre just picked the thread F.C.A. out of that badge. The samples I have seen have all been picked.

3 Field Artillery Regiment

Collectors often wonder why it's so hard to find the 16th Heavy Mortar Battery badge. My brassard from 1974 show's one reason. Having been instructed to wear the new Regimental badge some of us wanted to keep our 16 H.M Bty identity so we just cut the top off of the 16 HM Bty badge.

Cavalry Squadrons

These are the badges worn up to the reorganisation in 2012. After that only 1st Sqn, 2nd Sqn and 1 ACS remained. The old badge continued to be worn. Cavalry units were referred to as Motor Squadrons until the early 1980's. The 1st and 2nd changed the badge to read Cavalry. 1st Armd Car Sqn and 1st Tank Sqn amalgamated to become 1st Armd Cav Sqn in 1998.

Reserve Cavalry Squadrons

2005 Issue

2012 Issue

Cavalry Variations

These badges are either the originals or variations that have been worn since first introduced.

 

Cavalry Titles

Command Series 1941

The first cloth unit identification badges were introduced in 1942. They were worn by higher formations and measured 1" x 1 1/2". At the end of the Emergency the 1st Division and 2nd Division badges were adopted by the Southern and Eastern Commands. The others continued to be worn until the early to mid 1950s. Two issues of the badge exist, first with a scallop top and the second with a straight top.

Brigade Bars

Introduced in 1942, Brigade Bars were worn with one of the higher formation badges.
The bars were in three colours, GREEN, WHITE, ORANGE and only 1" x 1/4".
To see them on a uniform they were small but effective.
1 Brigade, 3 Brigade, 7 Brigade
2nd Division - 2 Brigade, 4 Brigade, 6 Brigade
5th (Curragh)and 8th (Western) were independent brigades

The Post 1950's Series

Commands

These badges replaced the small formation badges between 1955 and 1964. In 2000 the Commands were designated Brigade e.g. Eastern Command became 2nd Eastern Brigade.

Command Headquarters

These badges ceased to be worn since the re-organisation of the Army in the late 1990's.

Command FCA Headquarters

With the establishment of Command FCA Headquarters these badges were introduced in 1980 and worn until 2005

Brigade Headquarters

These badges ceased to be worn since the re-organisation of the Army in the late 1990's.

Reserve Forces Headquarters

There were introduced In 2005 when the new Reserve Forces was established. They were worn until the reorganisation of 2013.

2005 Issue

2012 Issue

Command - Formation Insignia Variations

Engineer Companies

Engineer Field Companies cover both PDF and FCA units. The Maintenance units were all PDF.

Engineer Groups

Post 2012 Defence Forces Re-org the Engineers were re-designated as Groups and their insignia changed.

Reserve Engineer Companies

In 2005 the 3rd, 5th and 11th Fd Coys were given new designations as part of the Reserve Defence Forces. In 2013 the Reserve units were integrated into Regular units.

2005 Issue

2012 - 2013 Issue

Engineer Corps, Variations

 

Engineer Unit Tabs

Permanent Defence Forces Infantry Insignia

The first Infantry Battalion badges to appear were worn by the FCA in the early 1960's.

It was circa 1969 before the PDF units followed, at the peak there were 29 Infantry Battalions, numbered 1 - 30 (no 26th Bn).

In 2005 the eighteen FCA Battalions were reduced to nine with new designations.

In 2013 the nine battalions were disbanded and the troops integrated into Reserve Companies of PDF Battalions.

e.g. 7 Inf Bn (FCA) became 65 Res Inf Bn who became C Coy, 7 Inf Bn (PDF)

Since 2000 a number of PDF Battalions have been disbanded/Amalgamated, (2, 4, 5, 29, 30).

 

Mechanised Infatry

Reserve Defence Forces 2005-2012

2005 Issue

2012 - 2013 Issue

Infantry Insignia Variations

Variations that have been worn. The badges shown below are those of major variation and not just a basic colour change.

Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil - FCA Infantry Insignia

Companies

7th Infantry Battalion

The Company shoulder titles were worn 1962 to 1967 and the badges from 1967 to 1974

8th Infantry Battalion

Worn mid 1960's to the early 1970's

14th Infantry Battalion

Worn 1967 to 1977

16th Infantry Battalion

Worn 1967 to 1977

17th Infantry Battalion

Worn 1970 to 1977 The six company badges have a common design which incorporatesthe county colours (Longford, Cavan, Leitrim and Roscommon) with the castle and crest of the O'Fearghaills.

18th Infantry Battalion

Worn 1968 to 1977

20 th Infantry Battalion

The first 20th Bn badges where the shoulder titles introduced in 1962.
Circa 1966 the Company badges were introduced.
For some reason "City of Dublin" was not used by all the companies.
Two attempts were made to introduce a standard Battalion badge first in the early 1970s and again in 1989.

Headquarter Company

A Company

B Company

C Company

D Company

E Company

Complacht na bhFiann was founded in Feb 1965 to cater for FCA members who had an interest in military training through Irish. For administration purposes it was designated as E Coy of 20th Inf Batt and based in Griffith Bks, but for the first 10 years or so more or less operated independently, not going on annual camp with the Battalion but to a Gaeltacht area instead (usually Galway). It did take part in Battalion activities such as shoots etc. As it was based in Griffith, members of other companies of the 20th with an interest in Irish transferred across, particularly from D Coy, but membership was drawn from other units and corps also.

Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil - Infantry Battalion - Badge Variations

Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCA) - Shoulder Titles

These titles were worn during the 1950's until integration into the permanent forces in 1959. The titles are mainly in two groupings Names and Numbers. The names indicate the town names and the numbers indicated City Battalions. With integration they evolved into new designations: e.g. ATHLONE Battalion FCA became A Company, 16th Infantry Battalion. Some units moved to new Corps, like THURLES BATTALION FCA became 16 Heavy Mortar Battery. There may have been as many as one hundred and seventeen titles.

The use of the snake and staff in the medical world has its origins in both Greek, and later, in Roman mythology. The staff with one snake is known as the Staff of Aesculapius (Aesculapius - god of medicine) and this is the correct medical symbol. A symbol also exists with two snakes and a winged staff and this is known as the Caduceus (staff of Mercury). This symbol was introduced as the emblem for the American Army Medical Corps in the early part of the twentieth century because the badge looked more impressive with two snakes and a winged staff.

Field Medical Companies

The Field Coompanies were FCA and all had badges except the 4th and 5th Fd Coys. These badges were worn until 2005 when they became a component of a Reserve Logs Battalion

Medical Badge Variations

Hospital Companies

Of the four badges three are actual hospitals while the 4th Hospital Company was of a small medical staff and not an actual hospital.

 

Central Medical unit

In 2012 the Central Medical Unit was established for all Medical personnel.

Medical Corps Badges

Below I show various medical badges both official and unofficial. The first grouping are all official. The first two badges explain themselves. The Nurses badge (top right) is for wearing on a nurses whites. It was never produced in any great numbers to ensure they were available to nurses as required. The round nurses badge was worn on the sleeve of the Service Dress uniform. In February of 2003 a very small version of the Medical Corps Badge was introduced and worn on the sleeve pocket flap of the DPMs.

 

Civillian Medical Qualification Badges

These badges are civillian in nature but have been worn by Medical personal whom completed the respective courses

Military Police

Military Police Companies were designated as Garrison Companies (PDF) and Field Companies (FCA).

Garrison Military Police Companies

 

Field Military Police Companies

 

Military Police Variations

 

Reserve Military Police Companies

Worn until 2013 when the units were integrated into the Regular Companies.

2005 Issue

2012 Issue

Combat Service Support

The units shown below are all part of the DFTC and were previously Depots, Schools and Units within the Curragh Command.

CSC comprised of the following schools: Artillery, Cavalry, Engineers & CIS

CSSC comprises of the following schools: Administration, Catering, Medical, MP School, Ordnance, Transport & the Defence Forces School of Physical Culture (DFPCS)

SSU comprises of the following: Education Resources, Personnel, Logistics, a CIS Detachment, a Medical Detachment, an Ordnance Detachment and a Transport Company.

 

Logistics

Because of a small flaw at design stage the four badges shown below were actually manufactured with an error (i.e. The Q was made as an O and the rifle on the top was just a squiggle).  The 1st LSB discovered the flaw in time and had their badge rectified so the error was not issued.

 

Training Areas

The three badges shown below represent the Defence Forces Training Areas.

 

Training Centers, Brigade

NOTE: The Brigade Training Centers were previously know as Command Training Depots.

 

Unit Badges

 

Variations

Ordnance Companies

Ordnance Companies are regular units only.

 

Ordnance Corps Variations

 

Ordnance Groups

The Ordnance Groups where established in 2014

Signals Companies

 

CIS Groups

Following the re-organisation in 2012 four CIS (signals) units consisting of both PDF and RDF personnel remained. Initially three new badges were introduced but only DFTC was worn. The other units continued to wear their original badge.

Signals Corps Variations

 

RDF Signals

2005 Issue

2012 Issue

Command Training Depots were redesignated to Brigade Training Centers in 2003.

 

Training Depots Variations

 

Other Training Insignia

The following badges are from the David Perkins Subdued Series and had official approval for use, until the official Subdued Issue of 2021.

Garrison Transport Companies

 

Field Transport Companies

 

Transport Groups

 

Variations

Specialist Unit Insignia

Military College

David Perkins Series

2021 Official Unit Issue

Defence Forces Headquarters and Specialised Units

1 Brigade

2 Brigade

DFTC

Reserve Defence Forces

This section covers the Reserve Defence Forces badges that were introduced on 01 October 2005
and also the badges that were in production in 2012 prior to the Defence Forces Reorganisation which rendered them obsolete.
The badges were designed by Sgt. Kieran McKeon of the Defence Forces Printing Press.
With the formalisation of the badges there has been a loss of unit and historical significance.
It is worth noting that the colour scheme of the original art work was in some cases not carried on into the actual badges.

RDF 2005 Series

2 Eastern Brigade

 

1 Southern Brigade

 

4 Western Brigade

 

RDF 2012 - 2013 Insignia Issue

2 Eastern Brigade

 

1 Southern Brigade

 

4 Western Brigade

Army Apprentice School

Titles

Army Qualifications

Army Ranger Wing (Selection Course Passed)

The Fianoglach title was approved in April 1971 (DFR A9 Para 49A) for personnel who completed the Ranger Course.

 

Army Ranger Wing

Later with the introduction of the Army Ranger Wing the badge in its basic form was worn by those who completed the selection course and those who actually joined the unit wore it on a red background.

 

Army Ranger Variations

 

Parachute Qualification

The Parachute Wing was authorised on 6 January 1983. Initially the cloth version was black on green but a number of variations now exist. The silver version is awarded on completion of the course.

 

Marksman

 

Champion Shot

"In 1948 the champion shot badge was introduced. Having been awarded the wearer did not need to qualify again". The subdued version is unofficial and was introduced by qualified personnel in the 14th Battalion FCA"

 

Sniper Qualification

The Sniper badge was introduced in the mid 1990s and there are two grades of the badge

 

ARW Sniper Qualification

 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Improvised Explosive Disposal

This badge was introduced in 2009 and is awarded to personnel of the ordnance corps who are EOD/IED qualified.

The badge consists of a Guy Fawkes bomb, with Celtic Broadswords, Oak Leaf Clusters and a Celtic Knot.

The official award is the one with the khaki border. The black border badge was made privately while waiting for the official badge and only one batch of was made.

The desert pattern which was locally made in Kabul was first worn in 2009 by an officer serving with ISAF.

 

Misc Qualifications

 

Confidence Training Instructor Qualification

 

Search Engineer Group Qualification