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Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#16
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Thank you James
Rob |
#17
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I have been able to find a little bit of basic information about 'The New Zealand Clothing Factory' from some New Zealand websites.
They were the first clothing factory in New Zealand, set up in 1873 by a "German-born merchant Bendix Hallenstein (1835-1905) ..... to supply his stores .... offering shoppers .... a single garment at wholesale price". At some point they obviously expanded to take on military contracts. They were clearly garment/uniform manufacturers but I suspect that they did not make the buttons themselves but imported them in sufficient quantity to persuade the actual maker to use their name as the backmark. Can anyone confirm this and say where they got the buttons from? Roger |
#18
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Quote:
However, IMO it is most likely the components for HB to make a button, such as the shank, backing plate and the front blank, all would have been imported from England. The question is who supplied HB with dies to press the blank plates into planchets, were the dies made in NZ or were they imported from England? Whatever the answer is the Hallenstein Brothers were only one of many button makers to manufacture buttons for the NZ military. The following picture shows my J. R Gaunt made 1911 NZA Forces button, a Birmingham made 1911 to 1921 NZ Territorial Artillery button and my Gaunt made post 1911 Dress/Undress Artillery gun button. As yet I have not been able to find an exact date when the "NZ" was added to the gun button, the earliest uniform that I have seen so far is a 1930s blue artillery jacket. The following picture shows my 1923 NZ Mess Dress Artillery ball button. My 1947 pattern NZ Dress/Undress Artillery gun button and 1954 pattern NZ Artillery anodised gun button. |
#19
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Very interesting information and photos, thank you for posting.
Roger |
#20
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RNAV Button
This gilt and silver RNAV button also worn in New Zealand
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#21
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The RNAV was British, so quite possible it was worn by a British officer serving in New Zealand.
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#22
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Quote:
https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-...milius-le-roy/ Download image of his cased epaulettes, buttons can be clearly seen, along with the bullion badges |
#23
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The NZ Volunteer Dress Regulation of 1882 (page 83) para 251 says that the NAV are to have the same uniform as the RNAV (page 209). This states that the buttons, para 111, are RN-AV in silver with gilt crown and anchor.
The NZ1889 regulations (page 102) para 7 state that the buttons are RN pattern with the letters N.A.V. in old English. Button to be gilt. The NZ1895 regulations (page 127) NAV (page 132) are the same pattern as the 1889 button. The only evidence that I have found of metal military buttons being made in NZ is from Robert in Palmerston North who had dies and produced buttons for a short period but the dies were stolen. Just because a button has a NZ back stamp does not mean it was made here. Companies would have paid more to have their companies name on the rear. It is folklore to think that because a button has a NZ clothing manufacturer and/or retailers name on the rear that is was made here! Barry |
#24
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Thanks Barry, very informative. As Commandant Le Roy retired before the later 1889 regulations this accounts for his buttons and other RNAV insignia. Most images of NAV in NZ seem to date from the late 1880s into 1890s so will feature the later NAV insignia.
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