Royal Ordnance Factory Badge - A.I.D? - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Andy Wade · #1 10-10-11, 08:30 AM

Does anyone have an example of a Royal Ordnance Factory badge that would have been worn by a supervisor or a worker in the Aeronautical Inspection Department (AID)?
I've just interviewed a lady who is now in a nursing home and she remembers having a badge at work, but that it was 'cleared out' of her house when she had a stroke and had to go into a home.
The nearest I can get is a very faint picture from an old photo of some of the workers at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Steeton in West Yorkshire:

Any ideas? Even to say that I'm barking up the wrong tree? It was over 60 years ago and the lady said her memory could have been wrong about it, but she did remember wearing a badge of some kind.

Thanks in advance.

Postwarden · #2 19-10-11, 08:12 AM

Andy,

In the absence of any other replies a few comments. The ROFs did not make planes, the manufacture of which remained the responsibility of the civilian manufacturers such as Vickers. The AID was part of the Ministry of Aircraft Production and their inspectors visited or were based in the aircraft factories to ensure the planes met the Ministry's specifications.

There was a WWI AID badge but I do not know of a WW2 example.

The badge in the picture looks more like a WWI silver war badge than anything else.

Some years ago I wrote a book on Home Front lapel badges (out of print but shortly to be republished) but saw no badge like this during my research.

Hope that helps in some way

Postwarden

Andy Wade · #3 22-10-11, 02:00 PM

Hi Postwarden,

Many thanks for your reply.
The lady in question was very specific about it being the Aeronautical Inspection Department, Steeton ROF made Oerlikon and Hispano-Suiza ammunition (amongst other munitions) and she said she inspected munitions that were specifically for aircraft, hence the designation of the department she worked in. She remembered the sign on the door very well. I think it was a 'local' name for a department within the factory, rather than something specific to the Aeronautical industry, although I do see your point.
She thought the badge in the picture might be for supervisors, or specific to her department and she said she definitely had an AID badge but that it was 'lost' when her home was cleared out after she had a stroke and ended up in a nursing home, so we haven't seen what that badge looked like and she couldn't make the one out in this picture enough to say for sure if it was what I thought it might be.
To be honest, I was just taking a wild stab in the dark and hoping someone would be able to say for sure what it was.

What's the title of your book? Please PM me with it, if it's against the forum rules to say on here.

Cheers!

Deejayuu · #4 10-01-12, 10:03 PM

Not sure if this is the badge you are looking for but looks promising. The badge shown is 25mm across its width and is fitted with a standard horseshoe button hole fitting. Makers mark to the back. `I B SALE LD, B`HAM` .There is also a smaller pattern about half this size with a small brooch fitting, identical but smaller. When i purchased this badge i was advised it was worn by the women pilots who delivered the planes to the RAF? Not sure if this is true or just some dealers spin.

Regards, Dave

Andy Wade · #5 10-03-12, 02:09 PM

Hi Dave,

I didn't get a notification of your post so I'm a bit late in replying. My apologies for that. It's not the same badge as the one I'm looking for although it's very intriguing as your AID badge is for those delivering planes from the factories to the airfields. The AID badge I'm looking for would probably have been made from cloth and sewn on to the lady's work clothing. The Air Inspection Department' at the Royal Ordnance Factory seems to have been just that and not related to the AID concerned with delivering aircraft.

Many thanks for posting it though, it's a beauty!

Kind regards,
Andy.

Mike Jackson · #6 10-03-12, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deejayuu

Not sure if this is the badge you are looking for but looks promising. The badge shown is 25mm across its width and is fitted with a standard horseshoe button hole fitting. Makers mark to the back. `I B SALE LD, B`HAM` .There is also a smaller pattern about half this size with a small brooch fitting, identical but smaller. When i purchased this badge i was advised it was worn by the women pilots who delivered the planes to the RAF? Not sure if this is true or just some dealers spin.

Regards, Dave

Dealer's spin I think. Deliveries of aircraft from factories was the role of the Air Transport Auxiliary (aka "Ata Girls)

Andy Wade · #7 16-03-12, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Jackson

Dealer's spin I think. Deliveries of aircraft from factories was the role of the Air Transport Auxiliary (aka "Ata Girls)

Interesting Mike, so if that's the case what does AID mean? Is it likely that this is close to what I'm looking for then? I'm seeing an old lady in a couple of weeks who worked at the factory during WW2 and if I print off the badge picture and show it to her she might be able to confirm it.

Phil2M · #8 16-03-12, 07:42 PM

I have always thought that AID stood for 'Aircraft Inspection Department'

Phil

Andy Wade · #9 16-03-12, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phil2m

I have always thought that AID stood for 'Aircraft Inspection Department'

Phil

Me too, but in what context? Is it to do with the inspection of ammunition as in the Royal Ordnance Factories or is it to do with actual aircraft inspections? Maybe they are two separate things and it's just a coincidence with the initials?

Incidentally I've recently received a picture of an autograph book from the lady I mentioned in my first post who worked at the ROF at Steeton and it clearly says A.I.D. in it, so her memory of the department's name is backed up with some written evidence. Here's the picture she sent me, it contains instructions for checking cartridges for faults:

Postwarden · #10 04-04-12, 11:38 AM

Just caught up with this interesting thread again.

The autograph book entry suggests that the AID which the lady remembers stands for Ammunition Inspection Department which obviously checked for faults in the ammunition produced at the ROF.

The fact that AID also stands for Aeronautical Inspection Department which was concerned with the quality control of aircraft parts seems in this case to be purely a coincidence although that AID did have a badge on their overalls as per the attached scan.

Which of course still leaves the mystery of the badge worn in the photo!

Postwarden

engr9266 · #11 04-04-12, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deejayuu

Not sure if this is the badge you are looking for but looks promising. The badge shown is 25mm across its width and is fitted with a standard horseshoe button hole fitting. Makers mark to the back. `I B SALE LD, B`HAM` .There is also a smaller pattern about half this size with a small brooch fitting, identical but smaller. When i purchased this badge i was advised it was worn by the women pilots who delivered the planes to the RAF? Not sure if this is true or just some dealers spin.

Regards, Dave

SMALL PIN TYPE ON E BAY 140704219560