Royal Australian Artillery cap badge "H ARENDSEN MELB"

[Markus Bodeux]

Hello gentlemen,
i just purchased this badge for my small collection.
I browsed the forum several times before and found H. Arendsen in Melbourne as a known maker of these badges, but could not find a picture of the makers mark.
My badge is die struck from a gilding metal and has a "dark bronce" finish, polished away over the years on some edges.
I know, this design with "AUSTRALIA" and the KC was in use from 1913 until 1954.
But i dont know in which period these badges were made by Arendsen ? Is this the common known version ? I did not find the makers mark in the "Makers´Mark" section.

Any comments and informations are very welcome,
thanks in advance and kind regards from Germany
Markus

[fairlie63]

Hello Markus,

The 'gun' badge of the Royal Australian Artillery was worn from 1930 until 1942 when it was completely replaced by the Australian general service badge, the 'rising sun'. Some units then wore it after 1948 until 1954 depending on what stocks were still held in stores.

The first manufacturer of these badges was Stokes and Sons of Melbourne and differed slightly from this. The first examples of this particular design by Henry Arendsen of Melbourne were manufactured from about May 1939.

Your badge of black painted brass is dated from December 1939 onwards until 1942 and represents the earliest attempts to subdue the badges. Later examples were of oxidised copper.

Keith

[Markus Bodeux]

Thank you Keith for the detailed informations !
I have only literature about british badges and found good sites concerning New Zealand badges (James Stevenson) and Canada (Chris Brooker), but my only informations about the Autralian "gun badge" come from the site of the Australian Artillery Association. Is there a good source about australian badges on the web ?
If this version was only produced 2-3 years by Arendsen i am very happy that i could catch it for some Euros, there should not be very much on the market. Now i like to find out the proceeding badges, may be i can add one to my collection.

Thanks again and kind regards
Markus

[fairlie63]

I don't know about a site for Australian badges on the web, there have been a number of books on the subject in the past.

The problem with Australian artillery badges is that the first published author on the subject got it wrong and every author since has simply followed the same line.

Keith