Tactical recognition flash
Tactical recognition flash (TRF) is the British military term for a coloured patch worn on the right arm of combat clothing by members of the British Army,[1] Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. A TRF serves to quickly identify the regiment or corps of the wearer, in the absence of a cap badge. It is similar to, but distinct from, the DZ Flashes worn by members of Airborne Forces.
TRFs should not be confused with formation signs or insignia, which are used to denote the formation (usually brigade or division or a higher headquarters) and are worn in addition to TRFs by a member of any regiment or corps serving in that formation.
Army
Royal Armoured Corps | Army Air Corps | Royal Regiment of Artillery | Royal Corps of Signals | Corps of Royal Engineers |
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See individual regiments | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Corps of Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers | Royal Logistic Corps | Intelligence Corps | Royal Army Chaplains' Department | Infantry |
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Adjutant General's Corps | Royal Army Medical Corps | Royal Army Veterinary Corps | Royal Army Dental Corps | Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps |
See branches | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Special Air Service | Royal Corps of Army Music | Royal Army Physical Training Corps | Small Arms School Corps | |
None | No data | ![]() | ![]() | |
Honourable Artillery Company | ||||
![]() (Corps of Drums only, Special OP Sqns none) |
Royal Armoured Corps
Army Air Corps
1st Regiment, Army Air Corps | 2nd Regiment, Army Air Corps | 3rd Regiment, Army Air Corps | 4th Regiment, Army Air Corps | 5th Regiment, Army Air Corps |
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No data | No data | ![]() | ![]() | No data |
6th Regiment, Army Air Corps | 7th Regiment, Army Air Corps | 9th Regiment, Army Air Corps | ||
No data | ![]() | ![]() |
Infantry
Infantry Regiments | ||||
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Foot Guards | Royal Regiment of Scotland | Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2014-Present) | Royal Regiment of Fusiliers |
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Royal Anglian Regiment | Royal Yorkshire Regiment | Mercian Regiment | Royal Welsh | Royal Irish Regiment |
None See individual battalions | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Parachute Regiment | Royal Gurkha Rifles | The Rifles | London Guards | |
See drop zone flash | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Infantry Battalions and Sub-units | |||
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1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | ||
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1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment | 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment | 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment | |
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1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment | 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment | 3rd Battalion, Mercian Regiment | 4th Battalion, Mercian Regiment |
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HQ, Royal Welsh | 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh | ||
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Adjutant General's Corps
Royal Military Police | Military Provost Staff | Military Provost Guard Service | Army Legal Services | Staff and Personnel Support | Educational and Training Services |
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Colonial Forces
Royal Gibraltar Regiment | Cayman Islands Regiment |
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Historic
Historic | ||||
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Royal Scots | King's Own Scottish Borderers | Royal Highland Fusiliers | Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) | Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders |
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2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | King's Own Royal Border Regiment | King's Regiment | Queen's Lancashire Regiment | Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers |
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Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2006-14) | Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire | Green Howards | Duke of Wellington's Regiment | Tyne-Tees Regiment |
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East and West Riding Regiment | Cheshire Regiment | Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment | Staffordshire Regiment | West Midlands Regiment |
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Royal Welch Fusiliers | Royal Regiment of Wales | 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh | 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh | 3rd Battalion, Royal Welsh |
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Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry | Royal Hong Kong Regiment | |||
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Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force | Royal Air Force Police |
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Cadet Forces
Tactical Recognition Flashes are not to be worn by Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) or cadets of the Army Cadet Force and army section of the Combined Cadet Force irrespective of any affiliation to a Corps or Regiment.[2] Cadets and CFAVs do wear county and contingent flashes of the Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force respectively.[2] Officers of the Air Training Corps and the RAF Section of the Combined Cadet Force wear the RAF tactical recognition flash, Adult Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers wear the RAFAC Staff formation flash, and cadets wear RAFAC Cadet formation flash.[3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/RAFAC_TRF.jpg/150px-RAFAC_TRF.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/SNCO_TRF.jpg/150px-SNCO_TRF.jpg)
See also
- Unit Colour Patch - Australian equivalent
- Shoulder sleeve insignia - American similar equivalent
- Drop zone flash
References
- ^ JSP 336 (3rd Edition), Volume 12, Part 3, Pamphlet 15, BADGES, EMBELLISHMENTS AND HEADDRESS (now superseded by JSP 886)
- ^ a b "ARMY DRESS REGULATIONS (ALL RANKS)" (PDF).
- ^ "Uniform Dress and Appearance Regulations for the Air Cadet Organization" (PDF). RAF Air Cadets. p. 50. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.