Unknown boonie capbadge

Anyone know what these old school boonie hat badges, also known as field cap or Quarpel hat.
I think the top is for General officers, but the bottom Canadian coat of arms is unknown to me.



[img][/img]

Hi Mike, Top is Generals, (Brig Gen, Maj Gen, Lt Gen and General). The second badge was for General list officers. The term means officers below the rank of General who are not on the strength of a particular regiment, corps or branch. I think that badge became obsolete with unification.

What is a 'boonie'?

Good question. I'm familiar with the plural form: "boonies" as that is where I live.

As shootemup says, I am familiar with the plural as I too live in the Boonies. I suspect the reference here is to the Combat Hat badge.

Perhaps all you fellows who live in the 'boonies' are eligible for badges!

The term "boonies" comes from the Americans, who picked it up from the Phillipinos. It is short for "boondocks" and I am not sure of the original word in Tagalog (original language of the Phillipine Islands) but was bastardised into English. In essence, it means the sticks or the back of beyond.

Ian

Ian, thanks.... But since when have the Combat Cap badges been called 'Boonie' badges. Sounds like some silly collector name being used instead of what they really are. Why certain collectors have to resort to fanciful names is beyond me.

Yeah Ed, I know. We, as an Army, have borrowed a lot of words from the Americans. What should be known as the 'Cap, Field' or 'field cap' has become the 'boonie cap'. Use to drive me crazy when the young fellas would refer to the Platoon Commander as "El-tee" or "LOO-tenant" instead of "LEF-tenant". It was like spitting against the wind.

Also, the original Tagalog word is "bundok", meaning mountain.

Ian

"Anyone know what these old school boonie hat badges, also known as field cap or Quarpel hat."

Thats why I added field cap or quarpel hat to the description (thats what the tag inside the hat says), Ed thats what I call the badges, thats what every other collector I have shown them to says they are, this is the third time you mention it, if you dont like what I call the badges, dont reply all the time to the posting.

Maybe I will call it a Red Green hat?

Instaed of belly aching about the name of the hat, give input to the question, or dont bother saying anything, the latter is my preference when it comes to your opinions.

Mike Dyer

edstorey wrote:Ian, thanks....  But since when have the Combat Cap badges been called 'Boonie' badges.   Sounds like some silly collector name being used instead of what they really are.   Why certain collectors have to resort to fanciful names is beyond me.

It is very simple Ed. We as Canadians, cannot call the hats "Combat Hats" because 'combat' is a nasty, evil sounding word. We as Canadians do not use such terms. I would have thought a member of the Canadian Forces would understand that. We as Canadians dropped the word "Armed" in describing the Military, as in "Canadian Armed Forces", because it sounds to violent, provocative or aggressive if you will.

'Boonies" is something every nation thinks we all live in anyway. Well, that and igloos. Or better in Igloos in the boonies. while we tap dance in our snowshoes.

Ian, this is where I have to disagree with you. The item the badges were designed to be worn on was a Combat Cap, perhaps even a Bush Cap or maybe even a Field Cap, it was not a 'Boonie Hat'. What you get is an industry, it stopped being a hobby years ago, in which someone coins a phrase like 'boonie badge' and then, like lemmings, many 'collectors' jump on it and use the term. Terms like 'boonie badge' are collector slang, pure and simple. Everything has a proper name, let's use it instead of making names up.

Sure collecting is suppose to be fun, but this industry is serious. Every day 'collectors' are unknowingly spending money purchasing fakes that they think are real or there are others who are speculating by purchasing collectables that they have no knowledge of but figure they can make a quick profit from. On top of this we now have people who make up names for things. Collecting militaria, be it badges or boots is a technical pastime, let's not water it down any more by using "it is suppose to be fun" as a blanket excuse for everything.

If the 'boonie badgers' want to get together and sit around and make up names for everything green, oval and with embroidered insignia then fine, let them have their fun, but these slang names are not correct. In the case of Combat Cap Badges, the fun should be learning what the insignia was actually called and how many different badges there were in this style of insignia, not in making up silly names.

OK Ed. I think we'll agree to disagree on this point and leave it at that. I now know your point of view, and will keep it in mind.

Ian

Capbadge, hat, floppy, Red Green type, combat, boonie, one each

Mike, You've got nice badges there. Just so you are aware there is a third which goes in between the two in the rank structure.

The bottom is, as Bill says, the General List Officer badge, but for Lieut. Colonels and below. Full Colonels and Brigadiers had one for themselves. Think the old CProC hat badge without the banner, just a lion on a crown. The rank of Brigadier was at one time not considered a General rank, but I believe that changed after Unification. The top is for General Officers, Major Gen, Lieut. Gen and Gen.

Pictures to follow.

Cheers,

Ian

thanks Ian, I completely forgot about the mid priced help.

Hey, Bill.  No probs.

Here are the pics as promised.

My entire pre-70 combat cap badge collection



Top (l to r) Generals, Brigadiers/Colonels; bottom (l to r) Officers (LCol & below), Or's

Ian, very nice collection you have managed to put together. I have thought of doing something similar, as these badges seem to be under appreciated at the moment.

Currently I only have one to the 2nd Bn Irish Regiment of Canada

Ian:

That is a very nice collection of the pre-1970 Combat Cap Badges. Great to see in its entirety.

ED

I decided to do a little research into what these caps were actually called by DND.   Naturally 'boonie' never figured into the name.   From caps held in my collection,

1966

Cap, Field, Combat, OD 7 GS

1989
Cap, Utility, Combat
"Quarpel"

Quarpel was the treatment applied to the material.

Here are a page from 'Canadian Military Clothing'.

Thanks Ed, the date of the clothing sheet? Interesting that the clothing is under TROPICAL category.

Bill:

The document dates from the early 1970s.

ED

Funny that the very first thing I noticed when I saw that photo is that the drawstrings are hanging out. That was a big no no when I was in.

I noticed what looks like a crease in the pants.

Bob