Canadian Engineer Cap Badges WWI to Present

Here are a few of my Canadian Engineers (CE) cap badges.

The first badge in the top left corner is an enamel and brass Royal Canadian Engineers cap badge. This badge is marked “BREADNER 84” on the slider, which signifies that it was made in 1984 by the Breadner Company of Ottawa, Canada. The badge consists of a beaver on a log against a red background, surmounted by the St. Edward’s Crown, encircled by blue enamel containing the words “ENGINEERS,” “GÉNIE,” and “CANADA,” partially surrounded by maple leaves with a banner at the bottom containing the unit’s Latin motto “UBIQUE.”

The remaining three are World War I-era CE cap badges. The top right is made of copper-plated brass, the bottom left is made of bronze, and the bottom right is made of brass. I prefer the CE cap badges that are made solely of copper, but I did not include one here. These three badges consists of a beaver on a log, surmounted by the Tudor Crown, encircled by the words “CANADIAN ENGINEERS,” partially surrounded by maple leaves. All three of these badges are unmarked.

Prior to the First World War, there were two components to the Canadian army. There was the permanent active force, to which the Royal Canadian Engineers belonged, and there was the militia, to which the Canadian Engineers belonged. The Canadian Engineers were part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and were raised specifically for overseas military service. I mention this because the Royal Canadian Engineers used a different cap badge before, during, and after World War I, which looked similar to the cap badge used by the Royal Engineers, and included the Cipher of the Reigning monarch until 1967.