Australian 1930-40's era trade/proficiency badges
 

Hello All

Things have been a bit quiet on the Australian side of the forum lately so I just thought I would thrown this in.


Amongst my bits and pieces I have this collection of 1930'-1940' era Australian trade/proficiency badges.

Dennis

Looks good!

Hi Dennis, nice collection and you are fortunate to have a couple of those bits and pieces.

Can I ask you for information on the steering wheel with crown? They were available in cloth (woven on khaki) from military outfitters at some stage in the Second World War, and I have seen them worn but they were completely unauthorised and I haven't seen them in metal previously.

Cheers, Keith

Thanks Keith

About 10 years ago I was loaned a 1936 edition of the AMF Priced Vocabulary that had an old AMF amendment/supplement document attached to it. This amendment identified it the Star and Steering Wheel as "Driver 1st Class". The gent who owned it has now passed on but his son still has his collection and reference material, I will see if he can provide a copy for us.

The 1940 edition of the Priced Vocabulary doesn't list it as an approved designation.

Interestingly there are a couple of others on the board that don't appear in the 1940 edition either.

Dennis

Yes, the drum is definitely post war for Drummer, only finishes were silvered and gilded metal in SO Dress 1955 but available from about 1953 onwards - it was a sew on badge too. The gilt crown (by KG Luke) is also post war, 1952 I think the first contract was issued, and it doesn't appear in SO Dress in metal until 1958, by which time it would be a QC.

In 1936 the steering wheel ceased to be a skill at arms badge - it became a trade badge for Driver MT First Class. As a collector of these I will be interested in whatever information you can find on the steering wheel badge with star. I do have a woven badge with star.

Cheers, Keith

Hello Dennis, A magnificent collection, if possible can I have a close up snap of the star above the crossed signal flags. I bought the same badge from the UK but my star looks different to yours.
Thanking you Phil.

Hi Dennis, my lot.

I don't know what the 6-pointed star is, the AWM had 2,000 copper examples available for release in the late 1980s along with thousands of other rank and proficiency badges. One lug to the rear but never found a reference for it or seen it worn.

The metal fist with lightning bolts is there because an old signalman down here told me that the instructors at a Tasmania L of C Area Sigs wireless school wore this badge. However a photo he later gave me of some members of Tas L of C Area Sigs shows them wearing the winged thunderbolt. So I am not certain whether he was correct, and of course he has also passed on so I can't follow up.

I haven't got a tank badge because AAAM told me many years ago that there was no evidence they were worn, in fact in 1936 all members of Aust Tank Corps were permitted to wear embroidered badges at their own expense.

I am looking for a metal HG in wreath badge and the rough riders badge.

Keith

hi denis and keith
really nice collections and im sure this will spur me on to display my lot.
i have these mounted but i have a bag load to add to them
the sigs badge photographed by itself is sheetmetal cut. it came from a deceased estate along with the chaps australian wireless squadron enamel badge.
cheers
bc

Nice lot bc. Definitely an under-rated aspect of Australian metal badge collecting.

Do you have provenance for the spur? I know there has been speculation that it might have been worn by the Remount Unit in Egypt but no contracts for spurs were tendered after 1904 for Australia (and those were embroidered).

Keith

Phil

Attached is a picture of the star above the signal flags. All the others on the board are identical.

Keith

Very nice collection of trade badges you have hanging behind the door. What do you have them mounted on, is that a piece of linen or calico or something similar?

I agree with your comments about them being an under rated area of Australian collection. I think that is in part due to the limited availability of good reference material that will inspire people to get into it.

Dennis

Dennis,

Just a piece of cardboard with calico stretched over the top and screwed to the door with the battens at top and bottom. Serves the purpose quite well.

I am hoping that the lack of reference material will be rectified in the near future. Many years ago I drafted material on metal rank and proficiency badges of the AMF up until 1960 as part of a larger work on aspects of uniform embellishments that are not normally covered (rank badges, hat bands, puggarees, armlets and brassards, etc) in other books. It fell by the wayside mainly because of my research on RAA matters, particularly unit lineage and dress. However a friend of mine and fellow collector has been agitating to produce that early work of mine on proficiency badges on a desktop publishing type of basis. I refused because the first draft was so completely out of date and incorrect but have relented to the extent that I am now halfway through rewriting the original draft with all the new material I've gathered, including photos, to cover the period Federation to 1960.

Hence my interest in the star/steering wheel of yours and the spur of bc's, particularly as I'd already rejected the other collector's suggestion that the British style spur be included because of lack of evidence, photographic and documentary.

Keith

Good news Keith! A reference book would be most welcome. I can let you have scans of my badges but there probably aren't many you haven't seen before.
What I would very much like to know is just which ones were worn in WM.
I have my collection divided into various sections: Gilt, Oxy, polished copper and WM.

Thanks Dennis, my star looks wrong.
Phil.

Were all Australian Drivers badges this dark subdued colour or were they made in shiny GM?

Only I have this example shown on the left which is the wrong orientation to be British Army?

Rob

i also have a drivers badge question.
who wore the transport badge?
bc