Despatch Rider - Civil Defence?
 

This Despatch Rider badge was shared in an ARP/Civil Defence Facebook group. There's a couple of rare photos showing DR badges worn on CD battledress. The colour appears similar to the 'old gold' worn by the CD.

On other threads it appears these are all unofficial and I think they have suffered from being faked in the past. Any thoughts about this one would be useful.

WW2 Civil defence website has photo of it being worn:

https://www.ww2civildefence.co.uk/bl...r-sleeve-badge

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Yep - that's an image from my website. I may add this yellow/old gold one if peeps think it kosher.

This photo I had not seen until this week (posted on the FB group).

Hello,

In my opinion its an original badge.

Not reproduced much if at all and not in those colours (so far)

A nice badge.

regards

I agree, a good patch.

If it ever needs a home, always happy to hear from you.

Cheerio,
Roy

So a good badge and "probably " civil defence given the colouring?

Yes, a good patch.

As to Civil Defense? Very difficult to be 100 sure as there were so many variations in so many colors and of course these were all unofficial. I believe they were made in many different colors to 'market' them at different units. However as it was up to the individual to purchase their own, they could have just sprung for anything that caught their eye or look appropriate (or was in stock).

Unless we can find a catalogue (I haven't as yet) that specifically shows the colors and indicated who they were aimed at, it's likely we will never know.

All that said, I think it's reasonably to attribute certain colors to appropriate units - in the absence of any concrete documentation.

Cheerio,
Roy

I'm no expert at all, but the thing that jumps out at me is the shade of yellow. It is more of an ochre color than the true yellow shade used by Civil Defense. May be a nit, but still the first thing I noticed.

Terry

80+ years of colour deterioration and dirt might obscure original colour. That said, yellow examples, of any shade, appear to be quite rare.

I do not disagree that it is a rare patch. I still think the original color is more yellow ochre than yellow due to the consistency of the coloring throughout. I also think it is a lovely patch, and were that an area I was interested in I would wnat one. Just an observation and nothing more,

Terry

I think its a lovely original badge, I can't think of any other organisation which would use yellow other than the Civil Defence.

I have this example.

Rob

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ictureid=61245

That's lovely Rob,

And one I haven't seem before, well done mate.

Cheerio,
Roy