Page 68 - RADC Bulletin 2021

RADC Corps identity through names, insignia and optional items of uniform
Col (Retd) Q Anderson
Since the formation of the New Model Army during the English Civil Wars of the mid- seventeenth century, British armies have been based on the Regimental System. The Regimental System has contributed to the Army’s fighting power by providing a focus of identity for soldiers on a much more tangible scale than that of just being one
of many thousands in a large amorphous army. The regiment (or corps) not only provides a soldier’s military ‘home’, but it represents a grouping of individuals with
a common purpose, who work closely together and identify in various sized regimental ‘family’ teams. In turn this engenders cohesion, trust, belonging, ownership, and pride in the regiment which can then produce a willingness and energy to perform at the highest levels, a drive to succeed, and a reputation for success.
Over time regiments have evolved names as unique identifiers. These names have been based on several factors. Many of
the early regiments included the name of the Colonel commanding them. Indeed,
the last such regimental name, The Green Howards, was only lost from the Army’s ORBAT in 2006. It was known after Colonel Howard who commanded the regiment
in 1744 and distinguished from another ‘Howard’s Regiment of Foot’ by including the colour of their uniform facings, green, in the name. The other regiment became the Buff Howards for the same reason (later the Royal East Kent Regiment – the
Fig 1 – Corps memorial (NAM)
‘Buffs’). Other factors have included a unique regimental number reflecting their order
of seniority, county titles, inclusion of the names of Royalty such as The Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Berkshire Regiment), and descriptions of their role or former role as seen with Fusiliers, Lancers or Light Infantry regiments. Within the Corps, naming has been exclusively based on the Corps’ role as seen with examples such as the Army Catering Corps, Royal Army Pay Corps, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Small Arms School Corps and Royal Army Physical Training Corps.
In addition to names, Regiments and Corps have evolved unique insignia to identify themselves. These have become manifest in many different ways, including head-dress badges; collar badges; regimental colours, standards, or guidons; regimental tartan; lanyards; style or colour of head-dress; arm of service stripes; tactical recognition flashes; drop zone flashes; badge of rank backing colours, metal epaulette titles, cloth shoulder designations and colour of uniform facings.
Over the last one hundred years the RADC has not only developed its own identifying name and insignia but has also changed many of them at least once!
NAME
When The Army Dental Corps was authorised by King George V in a Royal Warrant dated 4 January 1921, the document stated:
“We deem it expedient to authorise the formation of a Corps to be entitled “The Army Dental Corps”.
Whilst this appears to be a straightforward, uncontroversial statement, looking at it carefully raises two questions. Firstly, were the opening quotation marks around the Corps’ name really intended
to be placed before ‘The’ and secondly, therefore, was the word ‘The’ intended
to have a capital letter and be an integral part of the Corps’ name? In the British Army’s ORBAT of 1921 there were no other Corps whose official title included the definite article ‘The.’ Whilst it was, and still is, routine to find cavalry and infantry of
the line regiments that include ‘The’ as
part of their official title it did not appear
in any other Corps title. A review of issues of the London Gazette from 1921 to 1946 clearly demonstrate the Corps’ unique title amongst its sister Corps as any Dental Corps entries are clearly headed “THE ARMY DENTAL CORPS” as opposed to “ARMY EDUCATIONAL CORPS”, “PIONEER CORPS”, or “ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS”. The Corps’ full name is also reflected on the Corps Memorial (Fig 1) and on Commonwealth War Graves (Fig 2).
As well as the Corps name not following usual protocol, its official abbreviation also differed from what might first be expected. Instead of following the example of Corps such as the Army Veterinary Corps who simply abbreviated to AVC, The Army Dental Corps was abbreviated to AD CORPS as the abbreviation ADC already had longstanding military usage for Aide-de-Camp.
The name, The Army Dental Corps was
to last for just over 25 years until, as notified in Special Army Order 167/1946 dated 28th November 1946, the Corps was awarded the distinction of “ROYAL” by royal prerogative in recognition of its “past services”. This changed the Corps’ name to the “Royal Army Dental Corps”, without the definitive article, and with the straightforward abbreviation of RADC.
CAP BADGE
To date the Corps has had three cap badge designs:
1. 1921-1948 - A laurel-wreath surmounted by an Imperial crown. Within the wreath the monogram ADC. In gilding-metal. Sealed 11th August 1921. (Fig 3) Officers’: in gilt, also in bronze.
2. 1948-1954 - A dragon’s head, with a
66 RADC BULLETIN 2021
Fig 2 – ADCORPS CWGC gravestone
HISTORY