Canadian Expeditionary Force (25) General List badges

CEF General List Badges

(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

Accession Number 1997.28.338.

General List. The general list cap badge was a standard badge worn by soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force(CEF) during the First World War. In principle, the general list cap badge distinguished Canadian soldiers from their British counterparts. In practice, however, most Canadian units and formations designed and purchased their own distinctive cap badges.

When the Canadian government raised the first contingent of troops for overseas service in 1914,it organized volunteers into a series of numbered battalions that would make up the CEF. Many of the volunteers had belonged to militia regiments before the war, and incorporated the culture and identity of their militia regiments into the new numbered battalions. One way of expressing this identity was by designing a cap badge for the unit, rather than using the general list cap badge. These distinctive badges were often similar to the general list cap badge, with small differences like the addition of the unit’s number. As a rule, distinctive badges were purchased out of pocket or using the profits of canteen sales. Despite the proliferation of distinctive cap badges, many Canadian soldiers wore the general list cap badge. In some cases, a unit chose not to design a distinctive badge, and in others there were not enough copies to outfit newly-arrived members of a unit.

Although many variations of the general list cap badge exist, the badge has three common features: The background is a stylized maple leaf. The maple leaf is superimposed with the British crown. The maple leaf is superimposed with the word Canada.

(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

Accession Number 1997.28.342.

First World War General Service badge, King's crown on a Maple Leaf.

(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

Accession Number 1997.28.632.

First World War General Service badge, King's crown on a Maple Leaf.

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(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

Accession Number 1997.28.637.

General List

The general list cap badge was a standard badge worn by soldiers of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) during the First World War. In principle, the general list cap badge distinguished Canadian soldiers from their British counterparts. In practice, however, most Canadian units and formations designed and purchased their own distinctive cap badges.

During the First World War, the Canadian government did not send existing Militia forces overseas. Instead, it solicited volunteers for a series of newly organized numbered battalions (1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion, etc.) for overseas service. These battalions became the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF)

A Canadian battalion in the First World War consisted of approximately 1,000 infantry soldiers. The battalion was normally organized into four equally-sized companies of soldiers. Battalions were the key elements that commanders used to attack the enemy, or to defend positions against enemy attacks. In the British and Canadian forces, four battalions were grouped together to form a brigade, and three brigades formed a division.

Note: the Master Reference for the data and badges listed here has been extracted from Chris Brooker's books on CEF badges.

Canadian Army Officer's General List cap badge. During the First World War the cap badge for officers on the General List included the Royal Arms, with a king's crown. It also bore the motto of the monarch “Dieu et mon droit” and the Order of the Garter Motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense.”

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General Officers

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General Officer's badge

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(York Sunbury Historical Society, Fredericton Region Museum Collection, Author Photo)

Accession Number 1997.28.502.

Post War General List badge