WW2 British Royal Pioneer Corps Bakelite Cap Badge

The WW2 British Royal Pioneer Corps Bakelite Cap Badge is an original insignia issued to members of the Royal Pioneer Corps during the Second World War. Manufactured from Bakelite, an early form of plastic, this badge was produced due to metal shortages experienced during wartime. The badge features the emblem of the Royal Pioneer Corps, typically including crossed rifles or tools and a scroll bearing the unit’s title. Bakelite badges were primarily used as a temporary wartime measure and were later replaced with traditional metal versions when supplies allowed. This cap badge was worn on the service dress cap and served as a symbol of the corps’ important logistical and engineering role within the British Army. Measuring approximately 4.5cm in height, it is unissued and unpainted, with attachment lugs on the reverse side to secure it to the cap. This artifact reflects the resourcefulness and adaptation seen in military equipment production during WWII.