Higher formation insignia of the British Army

In addition to the field forces, lines of communication and home rear echelon formation signs are also shown.

When this insecure method of identification was banned by order in 1916, other signs were used, but the army and corps colours continued to be used in some cases.

[1] By the start of the Second World War, the British Army prohibited all identifying marks on its Battle Dress uniforms 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.

In May 1940 an order (Army Council Instruction (ACI) 419) was issued banning division signs worn on uniforms, even though some were in use on vehicles in France.

[28] In September 1940 the order was replaced with ACI 1118, and formation signs were permitted to be worn on uniform below the shoulder title by those troops in independent brigades, divisions, (field) corps and command headquarters.

Below this, troops of the British Army wore an 'arm of service' stripe (2 inches (5.1 cm) by 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm)) showing the relevant corps colour (for the higher formations, these were most often the supporting arms, for example Engineers, red and blue, Service Corps, blue and yellow, RAMC dark cherry, and so on, see right).

[31] 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.