Malta Artillery Artillery Matched Pair of Gilding Metal Collar Badges

Royal Malta Artillery Collar Badge (also worn in WW2 by the Malta Home Guard as a cap badge). An ornate Maltese cross with two copper loops to the reverse. Circa 3.6cms across.

Renfrew et al in Volume 1 " British Colonial Badges " states this was also the collar badge of the Royal Malta Artillery. However, in an article in M.H.S. Bulletin no.269 August 2017 by Dennis Darmanian (photo on p18) he claims this as an alternate badge as worn by the Malta Home Guard.

The Malta Volunteer Defence Force did not wear any particular uniform but civilian dress, mainly their normal daily attire. They were issued a ‘Brodie’ steel helmet, and recognised by an armband with the letter ‘V’. The authorities wished for the men to be dressed in overalls as in the United Kingdom, but at a later date they were issued with dark khaki denim battle fatigues and not all units wore armbands. This uniform was found better suited than the thick serge battledress, especially in hot weather. They also wore the standard issue khaki barathea field service cap, with a distinctive Maltese Cross badge (but there were several types of which this was one).

Comm DaSm

Code: 65873