Brigade insignia of the British Army

Beginning with the arrival of large number of Kitchener's Army troops in 1915, and widespread after the Battle of the Somme of 1916, each battalion of a division would have a particular sign of a distinctive coloured cloth patch, either sewn to the uniform jacket (on the sleeves, or the back of the tunic), or painted on the helmet.

[1] These distinguishing marks, known as "Battle Patches" were distinct from the Division signs, and were for the most part simple shapes and colours.

By the start of the Second World War, the British Army prohibited all identifying marks on its Battle Dress uniforms in 1939 save for drab (black or white on khaki) regimental or corps (branch) slip-on titles, and even these were not to be worn in the field.

[12] A further order of December 1941 (ACI 2587) specified the material of the uniform patch as printed cotton (ordnance issue), this replaced the embroidered felt (or fulled wool) or metal badges used previously.

[13] Aside from the deployment to Germany in the British Army of the Rhine, the employment of divisions has been rare since the Second World War, with Brigades often being the primary field formation.