The last thing a soldier or officer does when they leave their accommodation or quarter is put on their beret and on that beret is the cap badge. It identifies the soldier as belonging to one of the Army’s regiments or corps.
Canadian Armed Forces – Uniforms of the Canadian Armed Forces Headdress
The Canadian Armed Forces utilize a variety of metal and cloth cap badges on their headdress, and many follow British traditions for additions such as cloth behind and blackened metal badges for rifle regiments. Distinct cap badges identify members’ personnel branch or, in the case of infantry and armoured soldiers, regimental affiliation. Some units further differentiate non-commissioned members from officers by cap badge material (for example, artillery officers wear gold-wire embroidered cloth instead of brass, Lord Strathcona’s Horse officers wear silver rather than brass).
The unification of the Canadian Armed Forces took place on 1 February 1968, when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged to form the Canadian Armed Forces
This was a general service badge worn mostly by recruits from the 1950s to post-unification in 1968. It was replaced by the current tri-service badge. (Left)
A pre-interrogation Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps (RCOC) hat badge – the supply company of Service Battalions.