Unknown Span-Am War Crossed Rifles Hat Badge w/ Anchor?

[AirMechanic]

Can anyone tell me about this hat badge? I believe it dates from around the Spanish American war. The anchor in the center with the two "B"s on either side is a mystery to me. Any help is appreciated.

[atb]

The "Boys Brigade" (that's the "BB"). Some kind of youth group organized along military lines, but not a military or Army organization.

[atb]

A very quick Google search finds this from Wikipedia:

 

The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international Christian youth organization, conceived by Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values. Following its inception in Glasgow in 1883, the BB quickly spread across the United Kingdom and became a worldwide organization by the early 1890s. As of 2003, there were 500,000 Boys' Brigade members in 60 countries.

 

The article showed similar insignia-- no crossed rifles or number and letter and the anchor with "BB" is sitting over a red cross.

[jagjetta]

Pictured in the reprint of Bannerman's 1927 catalog, page. 265.

[AirMechanic]

Thanks!

[JerseyDevil117]

Interesting piece.

[doyler]

Be intresting to see if these were assembled by Bannerman for resale from two different insignias or actually made this way.

Very neat item either way.

[jagjetta]

Here's the illustration from Bannerman's 1927 catalog.