From the start of Guiding, the key principle of it was the Patrol. The peer-led self-starting group of young people who planned and carried out their own choice of activities. Hence, from earliest days, there were Patrols, and Patrol Badges. At the experimental camp on Brownsea Island, Robert Baden-Powell split the participants into Patrols, and they wore distinguishing ‘Patrol Knots’ on the shoulder of their clothes – strips of coloured braid in Patrol colours.
The Scout Patrols in that era were named after animals, with Scouts using an imitation of the animal’s sound as a Patrol Signal. But when Guides were established it was felt that this was not sufficiently ladylike, hence initially the Patrol names were flowers, soon after some birds were added. Patrol emblems were available from headquarters, and until 1968, as well as Patrol Badges, shoulder knots in the relevant Patrol’s colours were worn. There was also the option for Patrols to choose other names and design their own Patrol Badges and Shoulder Knots – blank badges were sold with the red ring pre-stitched, for Patrols to make their own badges.
Over the years, various Patrol Emblems were introduced, and dropped, such that it is difficult to produce an exact list of when they were introduced/dropped. I will attempt to provide a list of badges and associated Patrol Knot colours, and an indication of withdrawal dates:
Bantam: red and yellow – 1968. Blackbird: black and yellow – 1968. Bluebell. Bluetit: blue and yellow – 1994. Bullfinch: black and red – 1994. Buttercup: Buttercup & Daisy: Canary: yellow and white – 1994. Chaffinch: grey and pink – 1994. Clover: green and mauve – 1968. Cornflower: royal blue – 1968. Daffodil: yellow and green – 1994. Daisy: pink and white – 1968. Forget-me-Not: blue and white – 1994. Fuchsia: red and blue – 1968. Harebell: Hawthorn: red and green – 1968. Holly: red and green – 1968. Honesty: mauve and yellow – 1968. Iris: mauve and white – 1968. Kingfisher: blue and red – 1994. Lily: white and yellow – 1968. Lily of the Valley: white and green – 1968. Marguerite: green and white – 1968. Mistletoe: Nightingale: grey and yellow – 1994. Orchid: mauve and yellow – 1994. Pansy: brown and white – 1968. Poppy: red and black – 1994. Primrose: yellow – 1994. Purple Heather: Red Rose: green and red – 1994. Robin: brown and red – 1994. Scarlet Pimpernel: red – 1994. Shamrock: green – 1968. Skylark: grey and brown – 1968. Snowdrop: green and white – 1994. Speedwell: blue and green – 1968. Sunflower: brown and yellow – 1968. Thistle: green and mauve – 1994. Thrush: brown and yellow – 1994. Violet: mauve – 1968. White Heather: green and white – 1994. White Rose: green and white – 1994. Wren: brown – 1968.
It’s also worth noting that originally, the Patrol badges were produced in a felt-like fabric which was unbound – although the stitching may look handmade it was almost certainly machined as standard. By the 1950s, they were produced as bound woven badges, which were more durable in laundry. The Patrols were: Bantam, Blackbird, Bluebell, Bluetit, Bullfinch, Buttercup, Buttercup & Daisy, Canary, Chaffinch, Clover, Cornflower, Daffodil, Daisy, Forget-me-Not, Fuchsia, Hawthorn, Holly, Honesty, Iris, Kingfisher, Lily, Lily of the Valley, Marguerite, Mistletoe, Nightingale, Orchid, Pansy, Poppy, Primrose, Purple Heather, Red Rose, Robin, Scarlet Pimpernel, Shamrock, Skylark, Snowdrop, Speedwell, Sunflower, Snowdrop, Thistle, Thrush, Violet, White Heather, White Rose, Wren.
Then a new range of pin-on Patrol Badges were brought in for Guides in the mid-1990s: Bumble Bee, Butterfly, Caterpillar, Daffodil, Daisy, Dolphin, Dragonfly, Eiffel Tower, Elephant, Lion, Panda, Parrot, Pelican, Penguin, Polar Bear, Poppy, Puffin, Pyramids, Rose, Shamrock, Sphinx, Starfish, Taj Mahal, Thistle. However some were dropped due to lack of popularity, and new ones introduced, over time.
Rangers, too, had Patrol Badges from their founding in 1917 through to c1942 – Ranger Patrols were dropped during WW2, though I haven’t yet been able to pinpoint when. Ranger/Land Ranger Patrols were named after trees, and there were 8 Patrols. It appears they did not survive into the woven-badge era, all I have seen are in the ‘felt’ form. These were Ash, Beech, Birch, Elm, Larch, Oak, Pine and Willow.
Catalogues suggest that at some points Sea Rangers were split into watches, and at other times into Patrols named after Sea Birds – in the latter case it appears that transfers were available but Sea Rangers were expected to make their own badges. After WW2 Ranger Patrols weren’t reintroduced, instead Rangers formed informal groups or worked as a whole unit, according to what they were working on at the time.
Brownies, from the start, also had sub-groups, theirs being called Sixes. Originally, they were named after trees, but it was soon felt that Brownies were anything but tree-like – so an alternative theme was sought, and ‘fairy folk’ chosen. Originally these were Bwbachod, Elf, Fairy, Gnome, Elf, Kelpie, Leprechaun, Little People, Pixie, Sprite, Tylwyth Teg. Soon it was realised that this provided two Sixes each from Ireland and from Wales, but only one from Scotland, so suggestions were collected for another Six name, and Ghillie Dhu was chosen. Originally these were produced in ‘felt’ with embroidery, after the 1940s in woven form. In 1968 it was decided to rationalise the options – Fairy, Little People and Tylwyth Teg were dropped.
Then in the 1990s new animal Six names were introduced, as an alternative to the ‘fairy folk’ – Badger, Fox, Mole, Rabbit and Squirrel – and the badges moved from being brown and rectangular, to being blue and oval.
In the 2020s a new range of emblems, open to all sections, were brought in to replace the previous Brownie and Guide badges, available in both cloth and pin badge form. These were: Badger, Bluebell, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Bwbachod, Daisy, Dolphin, Dragon, Elephant, Elf, Fox, Ghillie Dhu, Gnome, Hedgehog, Imp, Kelpie, Leprechaun, Lion, Mermaid, Mole, Panda, Parrot, Penguin, Phoenix, Pixie, Polar Bear, Poppy, Rabbit, Sprite, Squirrel, Starfish, Sunflower, Unicorn.
In December 2024 it was announced that some of the Patrol/Six badges were being withdrawn due to low sales, in both woven and metal forms – namely Bluebell, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Daisy, Elephant, Lion, Mole, Parrot, Penguin, Polar Bear, Poppy, Starfish, and Sunflower.
In Guiding’s early years, as well as Patrol Badges, each Patrol Leader was expected to carry a Patrol Flag, these were white pennant-style flags which were decorated on both sides, and carried mounted on the stave. Although home-making of the flags was encouraged, they could also be bought.
Leslie's Guiding History 