Hi
I can access some examples from a few different sources so I could (with luck!) potentially post several images of the variants if there were to be sufficient interest. It might take a week or so.
One major difference between the Bay badges and the M & K ones (apart from the placing of the R.D. number previously noted) is that the "panel" for the number is slightly larger and some of the M & K badges are often either stamped in small numbers or engraved with varying degrees of skill.
I've seen one some years back that can only have been numbered either with a pin or some other sharp object like an engineer's scribe!
Somewhere I have a copy of the public notice calling for tenders for the supply of RSA badges. You can also find tenders for "10,000 sets of N.Z.R. shoulder titles"!
The red stripe comment is of interest too. Before the RSA badge there was the so-called "Returned Soldier's" armlet. I believe that many returned men deeply resented this "cheap gesture"[ an actual quote from the period] and the papers of the time are full of letters and comments on this topic.
What might have been an aggravating factor regarding this armlet was that it was described as being "Turkey red" in colour......
Gallipoli wasn't that far removed in time!
|