What is this Greek Badge please

[trooper]

What is this badge please

[grey_green_acorn]

It is a British badge worn in the lapel by civilian staff engaged on postal censorship duties in WW2. The motto translates to something like "We work in silence".

More info here http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ght=censorship
Tim

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by grey_green_acorn

It is a British badge worn in the lapel by civilian staff engaged on postal censorship duties in WW2. The motto translates to something like "We work in silence".

More info here http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ght=censorship
Tim

When working in uniform (in the Middle East primarily I believe) staff had a unique system of rank (or grade) badges and also a blackened brass shoulder title with the same Greek motto. I have the title but the slip-on and title belongs to someone else - apologies in advance. The motto must have baffled any passing Greek servicemen!
Censorship Branch.01.jpg

[peter monahan]

Perhaps inspired - motto and design - by the 'pansy resting on its laurels' of the Intelligence Corps?

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

Perhaps inspired - motto and design - by the 'pansy resting on its laurels' of the Intelligence Corps?

Naturally - the rose is the traditional emblem of secrecy - the Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose", and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality, similar to the Chatham House Rule. The rose as a symbol of secrecy has an ancient history, but I cannot see any linkage between the Greek motto and the Int Corps. Mike

[Postwarden]

I hate to overturn some long-received wisdom but while this badge has a censorship connection it's with India not Britain.

Research by my old friend the late Trevor Kingsley-Curry unearthed information on these badges published in a book by the then well-known novelist Rumer Godden entitled Bengal Journey; A Story of the part played by the Women in the Province, 1939-1945.

In it she describes the work of the Indian Censors Department established in 1939 and notes that they wore a khaki uniform bearing a brooch lettered with the service motto "We Work in Silence' in Greek on a green backing. A bimetal cap badge (no examples seem to have surfaced so far as I am aware) like that shown was said to have been worn in a green beret.

Rank was indicated by green stripes on KD slip-ons - from two for an Examiner, Grade A - as shown in Mike's example - to four stripes for a Civil Assistant Censor who ranked with a Captain.

My memory may be playing me false but I seem to remember that at one time the Imperial War Museum had on display a badged green beret such as that mentioned.

Would be interested to know if anyone has further information on these unusual badges.

Jon

[Mike Jackson]

Jon,
The author of the report to which I referred was Brig E Mockler-Ferryman. I believe it was commissioned and written after his retirement in 1947.
Mike

[peter monahan]

Originally Posted by Mike Jackson

Naturally - the rose is the traditional emblem of secrecy - the Latin phrase sub rosa means "under the rose", and is used in English to denote secrecy or confidentiality, similar to the Chatham House Rule. The rose as a symbol of secrecy has an ancient history, but I cannot see any linkage between the Greek motto and the Int Corps. Mike

I made the elementary error in high school of NOT studying Latin, which I regret to this day. I am familiar with 'sub rosa' but didn't remember it when I wrote that post. Thanks!