Can someone wizened in heraldry please explain to me the difference between a badge and a crest so that I can pass it on to people who are sure that squadrons have a crest.
I am 100% sure it’s a badge, but can’t find anything to back me up!
Well, I’m only so familiar with Coats of Arms, rather than other devices.
But so far as a Coat of Arms is concerned…the “Crest” is what sits on top of the helmet above the shield.
I think the term “Crest” has become so widely misused to describe badges and other devices that it’s almost become a de facto term. Pity.
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[quote=“wdimagineer2b” post=14570]Well, I’m only so familiar with Coats of Arms, rather than other devices.
But so far as a Coat of Arms is concerned…the “Crest” is what sits on top of the helmet above the shield.
I think the term “Crest” has become so widely misused to describe badges and other devices that it’s almost become a de facto term. Pity.[/quote]
This +1
Try the ACO Special Projects Officer. It’s his job to make sure all of our badges are heraldically correct and advise on policy etc.
Nice of them to give him a bader email address. Presenting a professional image and all that 
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That’s the email address that he gives out to people who would like his assistance; who knows why he doesn’t have a BADER address and actually, who really cares? As with most things, it’s the end effect that matters.
Yes, the end effect is the most important factor, but for what it would take to set up a mailbox or an alias it’s a bit of a shame.
I always feel that these days there’s no excuse for any company or organization (no matter how large or small) not to use domain emails.
Yet another thread derailed
Welcome to the world of “conversation”…
Sad how so many “conversations” move away from the original topic within a few posts to the same old boring stuff. Change the record peeps. You never know, we might learn something new.
Rather tricky to have a deep and meaningful discussion over the question originally asked here Prune.
Badge and Crest in these terms are commonly interchangeable.
You could probably argue that if you removes the central object of the image that would for a crest but due to the way some units develop theirs this is not always true.
Badge covers all elements corporate and traditional.
I can add that the official term for RN Ships is Crests. Only reason I know this is it is how they are recorded by the RN Historic Branch once produced as HMS … Crest. Due to the same nature in design, wrt Sqn, Stations, Corps its would be fair to apply the term crest.
The only common use of the traditional Coat of Arms Crest in today is in Signet Rings.
Let’s not forget the Seal of the Privy council. Also appears on uniforms, ID cards, above doorways and letterheads. Neither a crest or a badge.
Wiki refers to it as the “Arms of…”
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The College of Arms refers to them as badges.
"Inspector of Royal Air Force Badges
The Inspector provides advice on all heraldic matters pertaining to the RAF, such as Squadron and Station Badges.
An archive of all official paintings is held at the College although this is not open to the public. Copy paintings of original badges may be commissioned on payment of a fee. Alternatively coloured photocopies of badges may be requested by letter after payment of a search fee of £20 (cheques to be made payable to The College of Arms).
Enquiries
Routine enquiries should be addressed directly to:
RAF Ceremonial Office
RAF Northolt
West End Road
Ruislip
Middlesex
HA4 6NG"
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Most dictionary definitions of crest relate to a portion of a coat of arms, and Wikipedia explains this further quite well
“The word crest is often mistakenly applied to a coat of arms. For further information see Heraldry. For Japanese usage, see mon (badge).”
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