With thanks to Marc Sherriff
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| BELT COLOURS - red, blue and yellow |
I did notice that the belt you have listed under 4th.Regt.RHA is the same as that worn by my father when he was serving as a sergeant in 4 (Sphinx) Battery, 47 GW Regiment RA 1959 -1965. As far as I can remember Dad used the stable belt from around 1958 with 47 Regiment in Crookham and Napier Barracks, Dortmund, Germany through to June 1965 (including the time the regiment was in White Sands USA for missile training). 4(Sphinx) Battery members definitely wore this design, but I'm not too sure about 3 battery and HQ Battery.
Obviously the REME and RAMC attachments were using their own belts.
With Thanks to Malcolm Graham
QUESTION: The only difference I can see between the 4th RA and the 4th RHA belts, is the colours of the leather straps. Is this so?
ANSWER: You are correct about the belts and you need to add a few years between when they were worn. At present there is no firm dates as to when these belts stopped and started. In 1961, 4 RHA sort of became 4 RA but the belt was not worn again by 4 RA until 1996 to 1997 when it was reintroduced for wear by Officers and Warrant Officers, in 2000 it was brought back again for all ranks, both times it was with black leather.
A similar coloured belt to the 4th's, but wider was worn by the band during 1955-1956, which is why I asked if the measurements were the same, as it is possible that when the band ceased to wear it, 47 started too, as stocks were available.
The RA belt was agreed in 1956, for all members of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, so there are variations to the RA belt width and method of fastening until is was standardised in 1970.
As for the belt worn in 47 - all members of the RHA were told to wear the same belt in September 1970, this was the belt worn by 3 Regt RHA with a thinner yellow stripe.
With Thanks to Marc Sherriff
