62nd (The Wiltshire) Regiment Of Foot - For Leggings 9.5mm - 1830-1855...
HMS Undaunted (D-Day Destroyer Converted To Frigate) Cap-Tally 1944-1974...
HMS Dundas (Blackwood Class Anti-Aircraft Frigate) Cap-Tally 1956-1983...
HMS Duncan (Blackwood Class Anti-Aircraft Frigate) Cap-Tally 1958-1984...
HMS Racehorse (WW2 R-Class Destroyer) Cap-Tally 1942-1949 Woven Naval...
HMS Troubridge (WW2 Destroyer Converted To Frigate) Cap-Tally 1943-1969...
HMS Fisguard (Shore Establishment - Torpoint) Cap-Tally Pre-1983 Woven...
HMS Ulster (WW2 Destroyer Converted To Frigate) Cap-Tally 1943-1977...
Staybrite (electro-plated Anodised Aluminum) began to replace the traditional metals used for British military uniform clothing buttons from about 1950 and is still used for modern buttons. King George VI died in 1952 so buttons with a King's Crown (KC) are relatively scarce. These Staybrite (...
Staybrite (electro-plated Anodised Aluminum) began to replace the traditional metals used for British military uniform clothing buttons from about 1950 and is still used for modern buttons. King George VI died in 1952 so buttons with a King's Crown (KC) are relatively scarce. These Staybrite (Anodised Aluminium) uniform buttons are available to buy and are listed alphabetically by Unit. Numbered regiment buttons are at the beginning.
In the British Armed Forces, buttons tend to be permanently sewn onto uniform, but some uniforms that require more frequent washing have detachable buttons that are fastened using metal k-clips or button-rings. This might apply to tropical uniforms or chefs' whites.
Screw-fit buttons are made for the shoulder boards of ceremonial uniforms and are fastened to uniforms using special shoulder shanks, which are sewn onto the shoulder of the uniform. Please note that manufacturers have used different sizes of screw-fitting over the years and we cannot guarantee to have the correct size on stock, particularly for very old screw fit buttons. If you need shoulder shanks, it would be easier to order them at the same time as ordering the screw-fit buttons as we will try to enclose the matching size.
Due to established practice and customer preference, our stock is sold without fastenings such as button rings, k-grips or shoulder shanks for screw-fit buttons, however these are (usually) available separately.
British Army buttons are as varied as cap badges. Each unit has its own unique regimental button, often with a crest and sometimes a crown. Some regiments have a second design for use on cap buttons. Most fall into 3 size categories:
Small | about 14mm diameter | for the cap and mess dress waistcoats (vests). This size is also used for gorgets (red tabs worn by Generals on the collar). |
---|---|---|
Medium | about 19mm diameter | for pockets and shoulder straps (epaulettes) of most parade uniforms, also the front-fastening of Other Ranks Khaki No.2 Dress jackets. |
Large | about 25mm diameter | for the great-coat and the front fastening of Guards' scarlet tunics and Officers' khaki Service Dress jackets. |
Some units have a different range of sizes, such as about 16mm diameter for cuff buttons. We used to annotate these as 'Very-Large', 'Large-Medium' or 'Medium-Small', but for greater accuracy, we now use diameter sizes in millimetres, measured to the nearest half-millimetre.
In British military dress regulations, the diameter of buttons is often measured in 'Lines' or 'Lignes' (abbreviated to 'L'). 40L = 1 inch = 25.4 millimetres.
We prefer to use millimetres because very few people have a way of measuring Lignes. Lignes rarely have an exact equivalent in whole millimetres, which is why we round the measurement to the nearest half-millimetre when describing button sizes.
Ligne | 14L | 16L | 18L | 20L | 22L | 24L | 26L | 28L | 30L | 32L | 36L | 40L | 44L | 48L |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Millimetres | 9 | 10 | 11.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 30 |
There are fewer Officers than Other Ranks, so Officers' buttons are more scarce. Some sizes of button are rarer than others. Medium-sized buttons are the most common, and the following is a guide to the rarity of other sizes of British Army button -
Uganda Army 26.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Ulster Defence Regiment 19.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Ulster Defence Regiment 26mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
United States Army Button 16.5mm - Screw-Fit Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
United States Army Button 17mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
United States Army Button 20mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
United States Army Button 23.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
United States Army Engineers 23.5mm Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
University Of London Officers Training Corps 19mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
University Of London Officers Training Corps 25.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welbeck College CCF (Defence 6th Form College) 14.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Welbeck College CCF (Defence 6th Form College) 19.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Welch Regiment - 1952-1960 19mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Brigade (Dragon) 14mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Brigade (Dragon) 19.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Brigade (Dragon) 25.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards - Rare Size 23mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards 15.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards 16mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards 20mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards 25.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium KC. Staybrite military uniform button
Welsh Guards 26.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium QC. Staybrite military uniform button
Wessex Regiment (Volunteers) 14mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Wessex Regiment (Volunteers) 14mm - Screw-Fit Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Wessex Regiment (Volunteers) 19.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
Wessex Regiment (Volunteers) 25.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
West India Regiment (became Jamaica Regiment In 1962 14mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
West India Regiment (became Jamaica Regiment In 1962 19mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince Of Wales's Own) 14.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button
West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince Of Wales's Own) 25.5mm - Gold Colour Anodised Aluminium Staybrite military uniform button