South African Lapel Badges, WW2 Era

[BWEF]

Are WW2 period South African "Home Front" lapel badges being faked?

I have just won this small collection of them and, in researching what they are, I do not seem to have paid what others have paid in the past.

Are there fakes about, or have I just been very lucky?

I have no other South African lapel badges to compare them with, but they seem to be very well made.

[Milmed]

Hi,
To my knowledge these have never been faked. They are pretty common in South Africa and can be bought for between 50p and GBP5 depending on the particular item.

You have from lt to rt:
1. Civilian Protection Service membership badge
2. South African Womans Auxiliary Service membership badge
3. Smuts party badge (not military)
4. National Service badge
5. Loyal Service badge (for war time service)
6. 1942 Cavalcade badge (fundraising event in 1942 and also in 1944. comes in bronze, silver and gilt)
7. On Service badge for essential service workers doing there bit.
8. Different pattern National Service badge
9. Smuts Victory badge

[BWEF]

Milmed

Very many thanks for the reply, which has set my mind at rest. Also, for "going the extra mile" in identifying the badges.

I suppose these sell for more away from the home ground? Either that or the individual items I came across were being sold by "chancers"

[Ceylon Collector]

Thanks for this interesting and helpful information.

Would anyone be able to indicate whether or not there is any particular significance to the numbering on the reverse of these badges?

I understand that they were registered to a particular user (although I have read that the nominal roll linking badges to the names of recipients has, sadly, been lost?), so what I'm actually wondering about is:

- I have noticed that they tend to be numbered such that is a single number (I've seen , 1, 2, and 4) at the top of the reverse;
- followed by a 3 digit number at the bottom;
- therefore, I am wondering if there any significance to this numbering style -- ie., do the single digits at the top represent anything in particular?

Cheers,

Glen,
In Our Dominion of the North

[Brian Conyngham]

Originally Posted by Ceylon Collector

Thanks for this interesting and helpful information.

Would anyone be able to indicate whether or not there is any particular significance to the numbering on the reverse of these badges?

I understand that they were registered to a particular user (although I have read that the nominal roll linking badges to the names of recipients has, sadly, been lost?), so what I'm actually wondering about is:

- I have noticed that they tend to be numbered such that is a single number (I've seen , 1, 2, and 4) at the top of the reverse;
- followed by a 3 digit number at the bottom;
- therefore, I am wondering if there any significance to this numbering style -- ie., do the single digits at the top represent anything in particular?

Cheers,

Glen,
In Our Dominion of the North

Glen they were individually issued, I was very lucky to find an "On War Service" badge still attached to its issue card. If I recal correctly it was for service at the SA Mint? Handed back at the end of the War, number and card were mating numbers.

All one long number just broken up.

Brian