National Defence Companies
 

I recently rediscovered an interesting extract from the history of The London Scottish in World War Two which relates the history of their National Defence Company.

In 1936 TA regiments were authorised to enrol ex-members for part time service in a national emergency, the duties involving guards on vulnerable points. The history says that volunteers were to be issued with uniforms when embodied and records a parade in 1937 when the company's volunteers paraded in civilian clothes.

In 1939 the scheme was revised when the Companies became part of the TA Reserve. The Jock's history records that when their company was mobilised in August its members wore civilian clothes supplemented by a red armband with the monogram TA and an NDC lapel badge.

Kipling & King illustrate two NDC metal cap badges and Westlake the title NDC.

Is there any evidence that these three items were ever worn on uniform?

Thoughts appreciated.

Jon

National Defence Companies
 

Here are a few National Defence Companies badges.

Could this be the armband?

From a 1936 Recruiting poster.

Great spot. Now we need to see a buttonhole badge as all those posted so far appear to be cap badges.

Jon

Was it actually a buttonhole badge as we know it ? The poster simply says "A badge that can be worn in the buttonhole". :confused:

I can't find any examples , even in an auction lot that includes badges from the RDC through to the NDC.

https://www.olympiaauctions.com/sale.../view-lot/283/

A 2014 thread about NDC badges mentions ;

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...2&d=1390027759

Could it be that this was the badge that "can be worn in the buttonhole" and that the straight slider was introduced/used when 'cap' badges were issued ?

NB. The only examples of the bent slider I spotted were on early EVIIIR badges.


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The KGV Royal Defence Corps badge I have (acquired in 1984)I has has a hairpin slider (as does the KEVIII one I have).

A cast KGV lugged badge.

The tapering slider is a sign of a repro on the EviiiR RDCs. To date every genuine badge I’ve seen has the hooked slider, albeit I’ve seen examples where it has been straightened.

The looped GvR badge on the left is also fake. I’ve never seen a genuine looped GvR RDC. Leigh shows a good one below with the Smith & Wright mark. The cast one is unusual, it’s cast from a genuine badge but as ever with cast copies…

All my genuine GvR, EviiiR and GviR badges have looped over sliders, bar my first type GvR badge.

Thanks for the input guys , photo was taken from this old thread :

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ence+Companies

I was just curious if a badge with a looped slider 'could' have been worn in a buttonhole. :confused:

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Stranger things have happened! The hairpin bend on the slider would fit well between cloth and could probably be pinched in to secure it to a degree.

My personal opinion is that these were made but never really widely as a cap badge. \I suspect that the stocks were sold off unissued. Interesting badges but no photo of them being worn during the period to my knowledge. The EVIII ones were certainly made but were they worn?

Between initial enlistment which started on 1st September 1936 and being mobilised on 25th/26th August 1939 how many of the 'recruits' would have actually been wearing a uniform/cap ?

1936 - Recruitment poster simply says "A badge that can be worn in the buttonhole".

1937 - "when the company's volunteers paraded in civilian clothes."

1939 - "when their company was mobilised in August its members wore civilian clothes supplemented by a red armband with the monogram TA and an NDC lapel badge."


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I think it may have been used like a horse shoe fitting rather than pinched, the bottom half poked through the the button hole and the returned crush fold then pushed under and badge twisted 90 degrees to the hole.

I'd agree the slider may also be a buttonhole fitting, stick it in the hole, slide it across towards the end to "lock" it in.

Badges produced with a view to be used on headgear if and when uniform issued?