RANBT Hat Badge

This is an accurate replica of the hat badge worn by the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train during World War 1. The badge is 35mm wide and 52mm high and presented on a information card.

The most highly decorated Royal Australian Navy (RAN) unit during World War I was the little known Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT). No less then 20 awards for bravery or good service were made to this unit for service at Gallipoli and in the Sinai during 1915-17.

The RANBT was formed in Melbourne on 28 February 1915 and was intended to be a horse drawn engineering unit attached to the Royal Naval Division (RND) then serving on the Western Front. The unit was manned by Royal Australian Naval Reservists who could not be employed in seagoing ships of the RAN in the same way that the RND employed Royal Naval Reservists as Naval Infantry. Appointed in command of this extraordinary unit was Lieutenant Commander Leighton Seymour Bracegirdle.