Last week we took a look at a selection of Commonwealth shoulder titles, but today we will specifically look at British metal shoulder titles for sale. As explained in the previous article, the evolution of shoulder titles through warfare meant they changed from brass to cloth to then Staybrite material in more modern times.

There are so many types and manufacturing styles of British Army metal shoulder titles; you could choose to focus on a regiment, a campaign, a war, or simply a general geographic area of interest.

Rarer titles can be expensive, but as a general rule, those tend to come from the 18th and 19th century rather than WW1 onwards, and they often represent units that did not exist for very long. If a particular regiment was involved in a famous action or engagement, that can also attract collectors to pay more for them. For the less experienced collector, you can find some shoulder titles quite easily. A good place to start for example would be the bit boxes at militaria shows. You never know what bargains you might pick up, so it’s definitely worth venturing out to your local fair over the weekend.

2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment Shoulder Title

First up is this 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment shoulder title. This – like most shoulder titles – fixes to the tunic epaulette using rear lugs. A split pin would feed through the lugs and fasten behind the material to mount the shoulder title into place.

It is available from Allied Militaria in Australia for $150 AUS.

Lancashire & Cheshire Regiment Shoulder Title

This interesting and large brass shoulder title has three rear fixing lugs – two vertical and one horizontal. The unit represented is the Territorial Royal Garrison Artillery of the Lancashire & Cheshire Regiment.

This regiment started as a fortress-based artillery unit located on the coastline of Great Britain. However, during 1914 when the army had very little heavy artillery, it was enlarged and became an essential component of the British Army. Traditionally it deployed large calibre guns and howitzers and was often located a distance behind the front lines. From there, they could provide infantry units with a devastating array of firepower on demand.

This shoulder title is being sold by Cultman Collectables in the UK for £70.

Royal Engineers Territorial Shoulder Title

This is a slight variation on the standard regimental shoulder title but it was also issued to a Territorial unit, as denoted by the letter ‘T’. This time it is for a member of the Territorial Royal Engineers Signal Service. The Signal Service was a relatively new branch of the army before WW1 but with growing advances in technology, they proved themselves to be very valuable to the war effort. They were responsible for communication between headquarters and the front, using various methods like the telephone and telegraph.

Today, the Royal Signals are just as important, if not even more important, to the British Forces as they were over a hundred years ago. With ever-evolving technology presenting new challenges, such as cyber warfare, hacking and drones, it is crucial to have a great communications team who can secure army communications and keep the gathered intelligence safe.

Available from World Military Collectlables in the UK priced at £45.

Matching Pair of WW1 British Army Tank Corps Shoulder Titles

This pair of matching tiles is quite difficult to find. They were issued to servicemen of the Tank Corps and as a limited number of men were serving with that unit during WW1, it reduces the number of them in circulation today.

Tanks were first deployed on the battlefield during the Battle of the Sommes when tank warfare was still in its infancy. However, even during WW2 and even in today’s army, there are not a huge number of tank regiments, so the collecting of these items will always be a little more difficult and pricey. That said, this also means a good investment, as rare items tend to go up in price.

This pair are available from The Collector’s Guild in the US – priced at $1,215.`

Collection of Berkshire & Westminster Dragoons Brass Shoulder Titles

Next up is a group of B&WDGNS (short for Berkshire & Westminster Dragoons) brass shoulder titles which are being sold separately. The regiment was formed in 1961 by merging several Berkshire Yeomanry regiments with the Westminster Dragoons, but it was disbanded in 1967, so these shoulder titles will have been made between those dates. Priced at £25 each from JC Militaria in the UK.

Pair of Brass Parachute Regiment Shoulder Titles

A nice, matching pair of Parachute Regiment brass shoulder titles with rear fixing loops. They are available from Relic Militaria for £18. 

The Parachute Regiment was formed in 1940. Eventually having 17 battalions, it added a lot to the war effort – just think about the D-Day landings! They are probably one of the most collected regiments, and many reenactors also choose to dress in their gear. And although this brass version of the shoulder title was introduced in the 1950s, it’s still a part of the history of this outstanding regiment regardless.

HMRR Dragoon Guards Shoulder Titles

Last up for this post is a good matching pair of Boer War Era HMRR shoulder titles. HMRR is an abbreviation for ‘His Majesty’s Reserve Regiment’ and this one belonged to someone from the Dragoon Guards. These are not a common set to find and this pair is for sale from The Militaria Shop – priced at £47.99.