Metal Badge of Rank-Warrant Officer Class II

The pre-war infantry rank of Colour Sergeant had generally given way to the ranks of company sergeant-major and quartermaster-sergeant in 1914 when the four-company organisation was introduced. Both of these ranks, their squadron and battery equivalents, and staff-sergeants in other arms, wore three chevrons and a crown. In 1915 company, battery, squadron and troop sergeants-major became warrant officers class II (by Army Order 70) and thereafter wore a single large crown, without any chevrons, on each forearm. The type of crown used was the Tudor Crown also known as the King’s Crown or Imperial Crown; this crown was used not representing the British Monarch personally but also “The Crown” meaning the sovereign source of government authority. As such, it appeared on numerous official emblems in the United Kingdom, British Empire and Commonwealth. One such area was the military of these countries which used the crown in many ways such as the rank for warrant officer class II and Major. The St. Edwards Crown replaced the Tudor Crown and so the military follow with the change as well as this crown is the present version used to represent the ranks and other official emblems of the forces in the Commonwealth.

Note the designation of Warrant officer classes was in Roman rather than Arabic numerals until the latter half of the 20th century. From 1938, there was also a rank of warrant officer class III (WOIII). The only appointments held by this rank were platoon sergeant major, troop sergeant major and section sergeant major. The WOIII wore a crown on his lower sleeve (which is why all WOIIs switched to a crown in a wreath during this period from 1938 to 1947). The rank was placed in suspension in 1940 and no new appointments were made, but it was never officially abolished.

Here in the Caribbean, our rank insignias are adopted from the British Army rank system. Warrant Officer class II (WOII) wears an embroidered crown on the lower sleeve of the Number 1 dress (ceremonial dress) and Mess Dress. Along with wearing on the lower sleeve of Ceremonial Dress, the metal crown is worn with a leather wrist band; the embroidered crown is wornwith a cloth wrist band for all other uniforms.

Here at Active Gear Limited we sell crowns with leather wrist bands and embroidered crowns and you can also get a crown or a wrist band if needed separately.  Metal crowns are either gold or brass finish. They come with a double shank with split pin fitting and brass base plate which protects the wrist band from damage by the crown and gives the crown extra brightness. We also have high quality embroidered WOII crowns for cloth wrist bands and embroidered gold crowns on scarlet for ceremonial and mess dress kits. Additional to those mentioned above we have what the British Army  call ‘a combat helmet patch’ or a ‘rank patch’; of which, in the Caribbean defence forces call a ‘rank patch’ that is sown on a cloth wrist band and worn with training and operational uniforms in the different forces. These patches are black embroidered on olive green with a band edge.