Anzac "A" badge
G'day All,
Since posting my request for information on the varying sizes of Anzac "A" shoulder patch badges I have done a little research of my own and discovered that they do indeed come in different sizes and types. The following extract from "Distinguishing Collour Patches of the Australian Military Forces 1915 - 1951, A Reference Guide" by Keith Glyde, may be of interest to those of you out there who, like me, are not a full bottle on such things.
"The letter "A" was initially supplied at public expense vide AIFO 937. Its size was approved as 1 inch high by AIF Order No. 994, 30.11.1917, then was modified by AIF Order No. 1012 of 11.12.1917 to state that it should be 3/4 inch high, and of brass. In practice examples range in size from 1/2 inch to 1 inch and appear in a variety of materials other than brass. Curiously the official history makes no mention of brass, referring instead to "...an 'A' embroided in gold." (Bean, Volume YI, p. 5.) a point also made in the history of the 5th Battalion (Esprit De Corps; The History of the Victorian Scottish Regiment and the 5th Infantry Battalion, Speed (ed.), p. 90." ......and those men who had served on Gallipoli had a golden "A" for Anzac embroided on their shoulder patches." It is believed that the "A" embroided in gold bullion wire was the result of private purchases, either by individuals or on a unit basis. Examples in gold silk thread and hand woven brass wire also exist however brass letters are the most common of the examples noted to date."
I believe that The Australian War Memorial has a variety of types and sizes in its collection including examples of embroided ones.
Donny B.
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