Collar patches

Gorget patches (collar tabs, collar patches) are an insignia, paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar (gorget) of the uniform, that is used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank (group of ranks), the rank of civil service, the military unit, the office (department) or the branch of the armed forces and the arm of service.

Gorget patches were originally gorgets, pieces of armour worn to protect the throat. With the disuse of armour they were lost. The cloth patch on the collar however evolved from contrasting cloth used to reinforce the buttonholes at the collar of a uniform coat. (This is perhaps most evident in the traditional Commonwealth design for Colonels, which has a button and a narrow line of darker piping where the slit buttonhole would have been.)

In the British Empire the patches were introduced as insignia during the South African War (1889-1902). They have been used ever since in many counties of Commonwealth of Nations.

The collar patches of the most of the armed forces of the Middle East and Arab derive from the uniform tradition of the European empires that dominated the region until World War II, and especially Britain and France.

Afghan army has collar patches similar to Commonwealth ones.

In Austria collar patches of the Federal Army report the rank and the arm of service. They are also used in the police. Traditional, corps colours (German: Waffenfarben or Adjustierungsfarben) dominate the basic colours of the rank insignia.

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