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Royal Artillery Para Smock

Red and blue tactical recognition flash of the Royal Artillery.

A Tactical Recognition Flash (TRF) is a coloured patch worn on the arm of combat clothing by members of the Royal Navy,[1] British Army[2] and Royal Air Force as well as a number of other Commonwealth militaries to distinguish their Regiment or Corps in the absence of a cap badge. It is similar to but distinct from the DZ Flashes worn by members of Airborne Forces. The colours of the TRF are sometimes derived from the unit's stable belt. The Light Dragoons Flash here is often called the Balaklva Flash. It is actually a distinction that was awarded by the Colonel in chief Baden Powell.It is actually blue and white. TRFs should not be confused with formation signs or insignia, which are used to denote the formation (usually brigade or division or a higher headquarters) and are worn in addition to TRFs by a member of any regiment or corps serving in that formation.

Naval Service[]

In 2007, the Royal Navy introduced a new TRF for CS95, which is the RN Corporate Logo, as found on the official RN website [1]. This short lived idea was abolished in late 2008 by a decision of the Naval Service Clothing Committee, along with the large "Royal Navy" breast patch, and will be replaced in 2009 by a curved shoulder patch with the same wording.

Royal Navy Commander UK Maritime Forces Commander UK Amphibious Forces 1st Assault RM Fleet Protection Group RM Commando Helicopter Force
Royal Navy TRF
FPGRM TRF

Army[]

Royal Armoured Corps Army Air Corps Royal Regiment of Artillery Royal Corps of Signals Corps of Royal Engineers
None[3]
AAC TRF
Royal Artillery TRF
Royal Signals TRF
Royal Engineers TRF
Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Royal Logistic Corps Intelligence Corps Royal Army Chaplains' Department Infantry
REME TRF
RLC TRF
Intelligence Corps TRF
No data
None[3]
Adjutant General's Corps Royal Army Medical Corps Royal Army Veterinary Corps Royal Army Dental Corps Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
None
RAMC TRF
RAVC TRF
RADC TRF
QARANC TRF
United Kingdom Special Forces Corps of Army Music Royal Army Physical Training Corps Small Arms School Corps Royal Army Ordnance Corps
None
No data
RAPTC TRF
No data
RAOC TRF

Royal Armoured Corps[]

Regular Regiments
Household Cavalry Regiment 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Royal Dragoon Guards Queen's Royal Hussars
GuardsTRF
QDG TRF
RSDG TRF
RDG TRF
QRH TRF
9th/12th Royal Lancers King's Royal Hussars Light Dragoons Queen's Royal Lancers 1st Royal Tank Regiment
9th 12th Royal Lancers TRF
KRH TRF
Light Dragoons TRF
QRL TRF
1st RTR TRF
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
2nd RTR TRF
Yeomanry Regiments
Royal Yeomanry Royal Wessex Yeomanry Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry Queen's Own Yeomanry
Royal Yeomanry TRF 2nd pattern
Royal Wessex Yeomanry TRF
RMLY TRF
Queen's Own Yeomanry TRF

Army Air Corps[]

1st Regiment, Army Air Corps 2nd Regiment, Army Air Corps 3rd Regiment, Army Air Corps 4th Regiment, Army Air Corps 5th Regiment, Army Air Corps
No data
No data
3rd AAC TRF
4 AAC TRF
No data
6th Regiment, Army Air Corps 7th Regiment, Army Air Corps 9th Regiment, Army Air Corps
No data
7th AAC TRF
9th AAC TRF

Infantry[]

Infantry Regiments
Foot Guards Royal Regiment of Scotland Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Duke of Lancaster's Regiment Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
GuardsTRF
Royal Regiment of Scotland TRF
PWRR TRF
LANCS TRF
RRF TRF
Royal Anglian Regiment Yorkshire Regiment Mercian Regiment Royal Welsh Royal Irish Regiment
None
Yorkshire Regiment TRF
Mercian TRF
None
Royal Irish Regiment TRF
Parachute Regiment Royal Gurkha Rifles The Rifles London Regiment Royal Gibraltar Regiment
None
Gurkhas TRF
Rifles TRF
GuardsTRF
Royal Gibraltar Regiment TRF
Bermuda Regiment
Flag of Bermuda
Former Infantry Regiments
Royal Scots King's Own Scottish Borderers Royal Highland Fusiliers Royal Highland Regiment Highlanders
Royal Scots TRF
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Queen's Regiment Royal Hampshire Regiment Queen's Lancashire Regiment King's Regiment
ASH TRF
King's TRF
King's Own Royal Border Regiment Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment Duke of Wellington's Regiment
KORBR TRF
Lanc & Cumb Vol TRF
PWORY TRF
Green Howards TRF
DWR TRF 2nd pattern
Tyne-Tees Regiment
TTR TRF
Infantry Battalions and Sub-units
1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
FIRST FUSILIERS TRF
SECOND FUSILIERS TRF
FIFTH FUSILIERS TRF
1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment
1st R Anglian TRF
2nd R Anglian TRF
3rd R Anglian TRF
1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment
1st Mercian TRF
2nd Mercian TRF
3rd Mercian TRF
HQ, Royal Welsh Regiment 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment
HQ R. Welsh TRF
2nd R. Welsh TRF
3rd R. Welsh TRF

Adjutant General's Corps[]

Royal Military Police Military Provost Staff Military Provost Guard Service Army Legal Services Staff and Personnel Support Educational and Training Services
RMP TRF
MPS TRF 1st Pattern
MPGS TRF
ALS TRF
SPS TRF
ETS TRF

Royal Air Force[]

Royal Air Force No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment No. II Squadron RAF Regiment No. 3 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 15 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment
RAF TRF
Rafdz
No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 58 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment

See also[]

References[]

  1. 2007DIN04-101, Introduction of The Royal Navy Tactical Recognition Flash for CS95
  2. JSP 336 (3rd Edition), Volume 12, Part 3, Pamphlet 15, BADGES, EMBELLISHMENTS AND HEADDRESS (now superseded by JSP 886)
  3. 3.0 3.1 Each regiment has its own separate cap badge, insignia and tactical recognition flash.
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