New Member

[Garry]

Hello.
New member here, I have joined purely out of self serving really as I have a couple of recently purchased beret/cap badges to identify if possible in a bit more in detail that I can do on a google search which has learned next to nothing. I shall post them on the forum when I can manage to navigate the site properly, so look out for them please I need the help.

I have been lurking for the last couple of days awaiting acceptance and have noticed a few threads which I think I could assist with, so will where necessary as I get on.

I am not a badge collector as such but disposed of a vast collection of police badges many years ago but still maintain an interest in the older stuff really. I still maintain some of the more important ones to me.

I would consider myself a police historian/researcher as a hobby for quite some time and have a particular interest in the old borough forces, so possibly someone else to help with any future queries here,hopefully.

Anyhow that's me and looking forward to help whenever I can.

Garry

[Bill A]

Hello Garry, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

[Mercian]

Welcome Garry. There are quite a few of us from the North on this Forum .

[Garry]

Thanks,
I have manged to navigate the site now and straight away I have found the identities of the two recent purchases I made by being directed from this forum to another site when the cap badges belonged to the British Legion Police Force [ lasted two weeks in 1938 ] I would never have guessed to look at a police site for a BL badge ! , but the albums on this badge forum pointed the way to a great result for me, so really happy.

[Home Guard]

I think you will find this forum to be a great source of very finite information, and great references. Most importantly, the people on this forum are the best!

Terry

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by Garry

the cap badges belonged to the British Legion Police Force [ lasted two weeks in 1938 ] I would never have guessed to look at a police site for a BL badge !

Here is a thread I posted about the British Legion Volunteer Police Force including photos of a set of badges with excellent provenance.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=85099



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[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by Garry

the cap badges belonged to the British Legion Police Force

Can you post photos of the front and back of the badges please .

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[Garry]

Mike, Thank you for the reply and the original post, ( most interesting, thanks ) which was of great assistance in the ID, however the badges you show seem to be in much better condition than mine.

I include the photo as requested which shows the BLVP badge with the slender rear slider and the next generation badge with the much wider slider [ this stamped JR Gaunt- London]

I wouldn't normally clean stuff but they came to me in a really dirty state the sliders had a horrible green verdigris type dirt present , so to preserve the metal integrity I cleaned the offending material off, hopefully in time a normal patina may return. All the badges were in a bag which was quite smelly and they needed a good airing, all the badges had obviously been together a long time.

I have not completed my research yet, but the badges sold at a local auction were in company with a British Legion lapel badge,a trio of named WWI medals his correctly numbered Silver War Badge and a named St John Ambulance badge to a pre WWI policeman who joined the Royal Garrison Artillery from 1915-1919 who was wounded in 1918 in France bringing his army career to an end and after recovery rejoined the police.

However much I believe them to be his I have yet to 100% substantiate this at present. As you are aware these badges were given to the British Legion Volunteer Police who set of after the Germany invasion of Czechoslovakia but never left England. I have some records to delve into next week hopefully these may show he applied to join the BLVP in 1938, he was a PC ( 1911- 1946 ) until after the cessation of hostilities, so up to now it looks probable they may be his.

Having now seen your original posting I shall also scour the local newspapers now to see if there is anything in them of a similar nature. I hadn't found your original posting sorry, but my excuse is that I am new here, but I had found the photo in the 'Albums' portion of the site, but grateful that you have provided the link, thank you.

Attached are the pre cleaned photos.

[mike_vee]

Thanks for the photos and information , your guy definitely fits the 'profile' of someone who would have volunteered for the BLVPF. If you send me a PM (private message) with his details I'll see if I can dig out anything of interest.

There is not too much online about the BLVPF , most of it comes from a 2012 auction of items belonging to "Captain [Acting Major] Conrad Charles Viner" .

BRITISH LEGION RELATED AND REGIMENTAL REUNION MATERIAL

BRITISH LEGION VOLUNTEER POLICE FORCE RELATED MATERIAL

https://sparks-auctions.com/tag/brit...-police-force/

Regarding the badges , the style is commonly referred to as "QVC" (Queen Victoria Crown) and the early versions with the large British Legion badge were in use up to 1945/1946 so , without provenance it is difficult to say if individual badges were specifically worn by members of the BLVPF.

Photo 1 shows some of my "QVC" collection , top row are my 'confirmed' BLVPF set. 2nd row shows four "early" badges with 3 different 'sliders' , one is marked with the Reg.Design number (684409) of the British Legion membership badge.



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[mike_vee]

In 1946 the British Legion decided to reduce the size of their membership badges and J.R.Gaunt were given the new contract . They produced the "QVC" badges for various groups , Bandsmen/Standard Bearers/Parking (security and commissionairs) , these can be found with either 'slider' or 'loop' fittings. Gaunt also used a 'letter' system for orders so badges can be found unmarked , with a 'B' prefix (Bandsman) or an 'H' prefix (Hat) which has 'loops'. The Standard Bearers started wearing berets in the early 1950's and wore the "QVC" badge.

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[Garry]

Thanks Mike, quite the collection there, very impressive. I will not be in any competition with you though, the one's I picked up were part of a larger group of items I had an interest in, the BLVP was ancillary, but now a very important part

I have sent you a PM but not being able to navigate the folders just quite yet I can't find the PM I sent, but hopefully you may have received it, if not please let me know.

[mike_vee]

Got your PM , will see if I can find any info about your guy.

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[Garry]

Mike.

Further to our last, I think I stated that the two BL cap badges came with his BL lapel badge. Having now looked over your excellent collection of badges I fear that I maybe wrong in that assumption.

The 'Lapel Badge' I thought I had has no rear fastening to speak of, and completely different to the ones you show in that:

This badge is the same size as the Lions Head enamel centre of the BLVP badge. On the rear has the Birmingham makers mark with the correct registered design number.

But it has two screw fastenings in the rear centre not the usual 'claw'type fixing
Anyhow take a look at the attachments here and I would like your observations on them please, thanks.

[mike_vee]

An unusual item , it is not from BLVPF badge as the enamel British Legion badge was held on by 2 'wires'.

With the early British Legion badges the 'lion head' was originally attached in the same way but in the 1930's they used two posts/rivets to attach the lion head.

The badges came with either the button hole (horseshoe) fitting or a brooch pin (horizontal or vertical).

Two possible options for your badge :
1. It is an unfinished badge that hasn't had the posts ground down and the 'fitting' attached.
2. It is from a "souvenir" item but it is too small for a car badge and most of the other items they sold had a miniature badge attached.

Will see if I can find any more info.

Photos include a badge with the wrong registered design number , a batch were produced in the late 1930's or early 1940's.

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[Garry]

Thank you for your explanation and attached images.