Jennens & Co

[KLR]

It has always been thought that J&Co only made quality officer's badges.
as I pondered this I resorted to the brilliant work of Ticker Riley who listed all the badge manufacturers that had contracts with the Board of Trade in the 1st WW (it's on this site somewhere).


The only 'customer' that the Bd of Trade had for badges was the WO ! Such contracts will have been large enough to supply troops with badges - and would not have stamped / marked their products (yes, I know Lambourne etc did)


SO it was somewhat of a surprise to find that J&Co had 8 different contracts intermittently from 1915 to 1918.


Does this suggest that they did indeed made OR badges during the war - though they could not maintain this production after 1918


I'd be very grateful for opinions.


(I have a possible candidate - does anyone else have one ??)

[Rob Miller]

Is it possible that some of the government "badge" contracts were actually for buttons?

This is a ORs quality KC GM GS button which could fit the bill?

Rob

[GriffMJ]

I am thinking the same as Rob on this one...

White Metal Other Ranks

[grey_green_acorn]

Link to Ticker Riley's Board of Trade contracts list:

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=15609

Tim

[KLR]

I admit to not knowing much about buttons - but, I got the impression that ORs only wore general ?royal arms and that only officers wore regimental designs. I believe that ORs got to war regtl buttons in the 1920 ?


I tried to get hold of ticker but maybe the e-mail address I had is out of date.


Incidentally Tim - it is a photograph of a relative of yours that set this in train !

[GriffMJ]

Originally Posted by KLR

I admit to not knowing much about buttons - but, I got the impression that ORs only wore general ?royal arms and that only officers wore regimental designs. I believe that ORs got to war regtl buttons in the 1920 ?

1984 (255201) Tpr F F BOWLEY
Freeman F Bowley attested 29.11.1913 into the Leicestershire Yeomanry,went to France 2.11.1914, wounded in action 22.6.17 in the "Birdcage". Into the 4th Hussars 4.4.18 with the rest of his Squadron as part of the reinforcement. Home address: Hill Farm, Shepshed, Leicestershire. In the photo above he is wearing 4th Hussars collar badges but is still wearing his LYPAO buttons.

* Brand new kit issued would have had the GS button on it..... as seen in many photos of Yeoman in their new kit at the start of the war. As the Yeomanry, in war time, was on strength as a regular Regiment .... they were supplied as such.

[Cribyn]

Originally Posted by KLR

I admit to not knowing much about buttons - but, I got the impression that ORs only wore general ?royal arms and that only officers wore regimental designs. I believe that ORs got to war regtl buttons in the 1920 ?

The wearing of the 'Royal Arms' pattern button between about 1871 and 1924 mainly applied only to other ranks in infantry regiments. Cavalry, Engineers, Artillery, Guards and others continued to wear 'regimental' patterns. As far as I am aware Yeomanry other ranks continued to wear regimental patterns during this period.

Roger

[Rob Miller]

I have a Jennens Devon badge which is probably an Officers collar badge, but its dies don't match any of the 6 other ranks all GM WW1 badges or 25 Bi-metal 1902-1952 Devon cap badges I have found so far, so I have no evidence that Jennens ever made other ranks cap badges for the Devonshire Regiment so far.

And I'm yet to find a makers mark on a Devon shoulder title, so I don't know who made any of those?

Rob

[Jelly Terror]

In 1909, Jennens was contracted to provide protoypes for the newly-proposed Imperial Service Badge. In August of that year they submitted costings to the WO in respect three separate patterns (three in G/S and an identical three in G/M). The costs Jennens submitted were calculated on a potential first order of no fewer than 5000 badges.

Although I have never seen a Jennens-marked ISB, it is interesting to note that this was a badge intended from the outset to be low cost; not necessarily the kind of officer quality contract we might normally associate with this company.

Known makers of the ISB are: Gaunt, Lambourne, Suttle, Armfields and Firmin who, incidentally, provided the ISB standard pattern, (as recorded in the ACD Records of Changes). That said, I have never seen a Firmin-marked ISB, and include the info here for the purpose of clarification.

Evidence therefore, of Jennens’ involvement in the production of a badge not specifically intended as being exclusively for officers. As to whether or not the company’s involvement went beyond this prototype/costings stage, I am unable to say, but clearly they appear to have been prepared to produce the item, as evidenced by the price quote.

Regards,

JT

[MH331]

Some Other Ranks 1st Armoured Motor Battery cap badges are made by Jennens and Co.

Regards Mark