Arm of Service Strips

These strips of coloured cloth were introduced in 1940. They were two inches in length and were worn below the formation badge on the sleeves of the battledress blouse. Infantry battalions wore up to three red strips one below the other to indicate the brigade to which they belonged.

Here are three examples:

The single scarlet strip in the first image indicates an infantry battalion in the first brigade, in this instance the 38th (Irish) Brigade, in the 6th Armoured Division. The second example shows the black regimental flash of the 4th Northhampton's Battalion in the second brigade, (the 3 brigades were the 182, 183,and 184, so this is the 183rd Infantry Brigade) of the 61st Infantry Division. Notice that the second strip could easily be removed should there be a change in the Order of Battle. The third is an infantry regiment in the 3rd brigade, in this case a battalion of the Black Watch in the 154th Infantry Brigade, 51st Highland Division.

Royal Artillery Royal Armoured Corps
Infantry Rifle Regiments Infantry Regiments
Royal Signals Royal Engineers
R.E.M.E. R.A.S.C.
R.A.O.C. Royal Military Police
Intelligence Corps Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Pay Corps Education Corps
Army Physical Training Corps Army Catering
Royal Army Dental Corps Royal Army Chaplains' Department
Pioneer Corps (title 'Royal' added in 1946)