Does anyone know a solution to stop your rank slide sliding up your right epaulette?

That’s nothing compared to a slightly thicker stripe

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I got Kendrew Medals (aka Debbie, IIRC) to re-rank my no. 1s with discrete rank stripes rather than composite braid. Looks so much better, AP1358 notwithstanding, and was standard practice in the past - not sure when it changed TBH.

Not cheap to re-rank, though, when I got a promotion I’d assumed I’d never get…

I was joking

Try a square of cut card and slide it underneath your epaulette but above the bottom side of the rank slide, if that makes sense. Should just make the rank slide tight enough to stop movement

I used to use what are called ‘Popper studs’ look on EBay under sewing - one on the underside of the epaulette and one on the Rank - sorted.

You’ve said that already further up :rofl:

But seriously, a small safety pin is far more discreet and elegant.

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Or… Just pull them down when they slide up…

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back in my day it was very necessary to secure your slides, especially on jumpers and * ahem * GPJs.

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I don’t understand the fascination of cadets with keeping the ranks down…

If it rides up just… I don’t know… Put it back…?

It was to prevent external intervention relocating them or other shenanigans…

I see…

Chewing mainly

I just used a bit of sticky tape doubled back on itself. Doesn’t need to be complicated.

Yes. That was a thing that happened.

Dark days.

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It was a particular thing on my unit. Cadet NCO rank slides were not considered to have been ‘christened’ unless chewed by some higher ups.

This would happen very quickly in fact, often immediately after the promotion, the rank above the newly promoted cadet would grab them and chew them, it was a weird tradition.

Anywho, one night, the OC came in and told me (Adj at time) that he planned to promote X and Y to corporal on final parade. He had the slides, I asked to borrow them.
I carefully removed them from the packet, and soaked them, liberally, using some spare bottles of Rat Pack Tabasco sauce we had lying around.

They were then placed back in the packs just before final parade, and handed out to the happy winners. Immediately after parade the sergeants bounded over to the new Corporals, ripped the slides from their hands, thrust them into their eager mouths, and then basically collapsed spluttering.

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yes this weird ‘christening’ happens on m sqn as well, dont know where it came from

Would you happen to be from a Squadron in the only county in England with two coastlines?

no, i’m a northerner

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its probably quite a common thing to have some sought of ‘christening’ for rank tapes/new promotions. Probably like that licking aircraft thing that cadets try to do now and then

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Yanking someone’s tie off and throwing it out off the lift is still a major thing at work :rofl: