RCMP INSIGNIA Page 2A CHEVRONS Etc.

RCMP INSIGNIA

PAGE 2A CHEVRONS etc.

There are so many different sets of RCMP chevrons that have been used, that I decided to start a page with them.

The oldest ones I have, use King's Crowns.

BELOW -- Some RCMP non-commissioned officer rank patches.  As you can see, I am missing some of the otherwise matching sets; I indicated some sizes for the chevrons.

From LEFT to RIGHT -- generally --

Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Staff Sergeant Major (the round one), Sergeant Major, and Corps Sergeant Major.

On some of these, the crown is already a part of the patch.  On others, the crown is itself a separate sew-on patch.

The round ones for the rank of Staff Sergeant Major started their use in 1959.

ABOVE - King's Crowns, 6 inches gold wire; Corps Sergeant Major crown badge at far RIGHT.

ABOVE - yellow embroidered for the storm coats, in use from 1961 to ??? and were replaced by the gold mylar versions above; STILL NEED the sergeant major slip-on.

ABOVE - a pic of the old style Corps Sergeant Major rank badge - Tudor crown only - on the Left.  (See Don Klancher's book, page 88).  Only the Tudor Crown was used for this badge.  Compare the sizes to the crowns used with the chevrons for Sergeant and Sergeant Major on the Right.  The large crown rank badges for CSM were replaced around 1954 with the (still current) patch badge style pictured just below.

ABOVE -- a closeup of another RCMP Corps Sergeant Major badge.  The phrase, Amari Usque Admare is the Canadian national motto and it means, From sea to sea.  This one is made of the thick wire thread.  Note that this one is the later style (Version 3) - the early style (Version 2) did not have the leaves on the bottom.

ABOVE -- Nothing new pictured here - just 16 different sets of chevrons in one photo. 

ABOVE -- a photo of a small portion of a large (18 x 27 inches, 46 x 69 cm) color poster published by the RCMP in 1982 entitled, RCMP badges and insignia.  Note that the insignia for Deputy Commissioner and for Commissioner is different from the current insignia.

Thanks to the RCMP for publishing such a nice poster which is very helpful to all who want an explanation of your rank structure etc.  If the RCMP has anything different - likely newer - of a similar nature, I would love to have it.

ABOVE -- a closeup from above-

some larger crest patches--

these are approximately 6 inches tall

(15 cm) and 5 inches wide (12.7 cm)

at the bottom.  Top Right - the green and

tan leaves are in the thick chenille style and the

bottom one is foam rubber- no stitching.

ABOVE -- newer acquisition

ABOVE -- some RCMP stars used to denote 5 years of RCMP service; worn on the LEFT sleeve.

ABOVE - red background, for use on a blue serge

ABOVE -- Here are 3 brassards used by the RCMP officers who worked in the United Nations peacekeeping efforts in 3 countries.

A closeup of the RCMP UN badge is pictured below.  The brassards attached using velcro.

LEFT - the brassard is gray.
This one was used in Yugoslavia/Croatia.  In 1992, the RCMP provided 30 civilian police officers to observe the conduct and performance of local police and judicial investigative authorities in the former Yugoslavia.

On the front of the medal it says, UN and on the rear, it says, In the Service of Peace.

The shoulder board (tough to see) indicates the rank and country of the person.

The white circular item is the hat badge used on the blue UN berets. The pin below that says Yugoslavia Croatia RCMP GRC UNPROFOR CIVPOL  92/93.  UNPROFOR CIVPOL meant United Nations Protection Force, civilian police.

CENTER - a little tough to see the dark blue brassard.  Unsure why for this brassard, the RCMP shoulder flash is in the center instead of on top as for the other 2 brassards.  In Don Klancher's book on RCMP insignia, he said that this brassard was the first and rarest one, and noted that in the later brassards, the shoulder flash was placed on the top with the flag in the center. 

It's tough to see in the above pic, but the shoulder flash sewn on to the blue brassard is actually different than the standard shoulder flash, and is different from the flash sewn on to the other 2 brassards in the above pic.  See three pics just below.

Below the brassard is a UN medal which says the same thing as the medal mentioned above. Bottom center is a badge that says, RCMP UNTAG GRC on top, 1989 1990, 1st Sqdrn, Namibia Contingent and has the Canadian and the UN flags. 

UNTAG meant United Nations Transition Assistance Group.  Namibia is highlighted in red on the African continent.  The badge is pictured below.  In 1989, the RCMP deployed 100 police personnel to Namibia for 5 months to monitor the maintenance of law and order and to provide security to polling stations.  This was the first time the UN used civilian police in peacekeeping.

On top of this badge is a lapel pin of a UN vehicle which says, RCMP GRC Namibia Contingent 1989 1990.

Bottom center right is a shoulder board (tough to see) that says Canada.  The lack of any rank on the shoulder board indicates it was used by a Constable.

RIGHT - white brassard - and you can see the velcro strap at far right. This one was used in Bosnia.

There are other overseas duty  brassards and armbands - Still Need those if they are not pictured; also need overseas shoulder boards for ranks not shown, which say CANADA on them.  Another set of shoulder boards used by the RCMP for overseas duty is pictured on the Badges pages under the pictures of the officers' shoulder boards.

The flash used for overseas duty is shown just after the UNTAG badge pictured immediately below.

The Canadian Government minted a Medal called the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal that is also presented to members of the Armed Forces and the RCMP for serving at least 30 days on a Peacekeeping Mission. I believe it was first given out in 1988.  Not pictured here.

ABOVE -- RCMP United Nations badge as explained in the picture and text just above this picture.

ABOVE - UNTAG patch

ABOVE -- RCMP shoulder flash worn by Members serving overseas performing UN duties.  This was first used starting in 2001 (thx to Don Klancher for that info).

ABOVE -- shoulder devices used by Members assigned overseas - this is why all of them say CANADA on the bottom.

TOP ROW left to right - Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Commissioner.  I am missing several ranks.

BOTTOM ROW left to right - Constable, Corporal and the one at Bottom Right has, in fact, been used by Members to note their years of experience, which might not be apparent merely by wearing their true RCMP rank item.  

For the item at Lower Right - the RCMP used these Mission Rank Badges starting in 2001 in order to make sure its Members with experience would be able to wear a rank insignia commensurate with that experience.  Members had been in charge of units that included police officers from other departments.

The Mission Rank Badges rank equivalents were as follows:

Constable - Officer Cadet, one narrow bar
Corporal - 2nd Lieutenant, one wide bar
Sergeant - Lieutenant, one narrow and one wide bar
Staff Sergeant - Captain, two wide bars

These were used until late 2004.

Thx to Don Klancher for this information.

STILL NEED several missing rank devices for both Officers and NCOs.

ABOVE - the patch on the left is the flash that is sewn on to the blue UN brassard pictured just a few pics above.

The flash on the right is a standard shoulder flash.

The pearls around the crown are gold on the UN flash; they are white on the standard flash.

Below the red area of the crown, there are 2 rows of gold thread on the UN flash.  On the standard flash, one row has the colored jewels in the top row and in the bottom row, there are 5 dashes.

ABOVE -- Armband used in Yugoslavia.