FORMATION BADGES
AND INSIGNIA
OF THE ENGINEER/PIONEER UNITS
1944-1946

FORMATION BADGES

Following Formation Badges are known to have been worn.

1st Army Engineer Battalion

2 Formation Badges were worn.

First of all the Formation Badge of the Lines of Communications Troops 21st Army Group.
A blue cross on a red shield.

Second to be worn was the Formation Badge of the 1st British Army Corps.
A white spearhead on a scarlet diamond.

It is not known exactly when the second badge was intoduced.

Formation Badge worn by the 1st Army Engineer Battalion.

1st Company of the 1st Army Engineer Battalion.

This is the company that was originally the Field Engineer Company
of the 1st Belgian Independant Brigade, called Brigade "Piron".

As this company became the 1st Company of the 1st Army Engineer Battalion in January 1945,
all the men were allowed to wear, beside the Formation Badge of the 1st British Army Corps,
the 2nd Formation Badge of the 1st Independant Brigade "Piron".

2nd Formation Badge of the 1st Belgian Independant Brigade "Piron".		Corporal of the 1st Company of the 1st Army Engineer Battalion wearing both Formation Badges as allowed.

2nd Army Engineer Battalion.

The Formation Badge of the 1st British Army Corps.
A white spearhead on a scarlet diamond.

Formation Badge worn by the 2nd Army Engineer Battalion.

Beginning 1946 major ROOVER presented a Formation Badge, but the project was not accepted.
A Belgian yellow ramping lion on a half scarlet, half black shield,
with a yellow Roman helmet in one corner and the Roman figure 2 in the other corner.

Prototype of the Formation Badge for the 2nd Army Engineer Battalion.

3rd and 4th Army Engineer Battalion

The Formation Badge of the Lines of Communications Troops of the 21st Army Group.
A blue cross on a red shield.

Formation Badge worn by the 3rd and 4th Army Engineer Battalion.		Lapel Bdage as worn on civilian clothing.

The men 21st Company 4th Army Engineer battalion wore a badge of their own.

A red shield on a dark blue shield, i.e. the colours of the weapon flash.

Formation Badge worn by the 21st Company 4th Army Engineer battalion.

1st, 2nd and 4th Pioneer Battalion.

The Formation Badge of the Lines of Communications Troops of the 21st Army Group.
A blue cross on a red shield.

Formation Badge worn by the 1st, 2nd and 4th Pioneer Battalion.

Private TRIEST Franciscus, 4th Pioneer Battalion, wearing the Formation Badge of the L of C Troops21st Army Group

Battle Dress blouse from a sergeant of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion.

3rd Pioneer Battalion.

The Formation Badge of the Lines of Communications Troops of the 2nd British Army.
A blue cross on a white shield.

Formation Badge worn by the 3rd Pioneer Battalion.

1st Electro Mechanics Company.

During its brief existence a own Formation Badge was realised.
A yellow Roman helmet, surrounded by 4 scarlet lightnings, the whole on a black shield.

Woven version, left and right.
Embroidered version, without yellow border, left and right.
Embroidered version with yellow border.
Battle-Dress blouse from a private of the 1st Electro-Mechanics Company.		Lapel Badge as worn on civilian clothing.

OTHER INSIGNIA AND PROFICIENCY BADGES.

RANK INSIGNIA

In principle Belgian Rank Insignia had to be worn
but some of the first raised units wore the British Rank Insignia
until it was forbidden by order of the Belgian Minister of Defense, mid 1945.

Rank Insignia Major of the Engineers as worn on the greatcoat.

SHOULDER INSIGNIA

Most Engineer and all Pioneer units wore on both shoulders the Roman helmet in white tread, or in metal.

The Roman helmet was the symbol of all Belgian Engineer units before WW2.

Embroidered version, left and right.		Metal version.

Beneath the Roman Helmets the Pioneer Battalions wore the Roman number corresponding with their unit.

All other Enigineer units wore Arabic numbers.

Shoulder 1st Army Engineer Battalion.		Shoulder 3rd Pioneer Battalion.

Private War Volunteer 1st Army Engineer Battalion.		Private 4thPioneer Battalion.

Railway units wore a winged wheel on both shoulders.

The Pontoneer unit wore two crossed axes on both shoulders.

White embroidered winged wheel		White embroidered crossed axes

 

Privates of one of the Railway Construction Companies. Note the winged wheel on their shoulder straps.

ARM SLEEVE INSIGNIA

On the left arm the units raised before May 1945 wore a red "BELGIE" or "BELGIQUE"
depending if they were a Flemish speaking unit or a French speaking unit.

Red embroidered "BELGIE" and "BELGIQUE"

Units raised after May 1945 wore a white "BELGIUM".

At the end of 1945 all units had to wear the white "BELGIUM".

White embroidered "BELGIUM"

On the right arm all wore the National Colours.

Belgian National Colours

Beneath the "BELGIUM" and the National Colours the Pioneer units wore the red-green flash.

All other engineer units wore the blue-red flash.

Engineer flash		Pioneer flash

PROFICIENCY BADGE

The only known proficiency badge was the diver badge.
A scarlet diver helmet on a khaki background.

Embroidered Diver badge.