Serving Family Member Brooch

[emties]

Hi All,
A couple of years ago I purchased this Silver and enamel badge on impulse from an antiques dealers scratch box. I had handled it about 6 months earlier and with a price tag of R50 thought it too expensive and left it. This time round the badge was still there and for R10 I took a chance as I had not seen another anywhere else.

Back home I checked every reference book I had without success. As a last resort I posted it on the British Medal Forum and had it summarily deleted – I had just become a member and did not realize that it was medals only.
Further enquiries followed and I resigned myself to accepting that it was a sweetheart brooch, possibly worn by a Mother or even Father for two sons who were serving in the War – Which War? WW1 or WW2?

Then about 2 years ago another badge surfaced in a parcel of militaria I bought. This brooch was intended to be worn in remembrance/honor/support of a husband. There were now 2 varieties I was aware of, one to be worn by a mother or father and one by a wife. Imagine my surprise when my son returned from a buying trip just before Christmas with a third variety, this one to brothers.



This led to more questions, could there be one for a serving Wife, Father, Daughter or Sisters, maybe even one with multiple family members?
To date I have not heard or seen any other examples, except one other in the collection of a fellow forumite, bringing the total to 4.
Are there any others around? Do they exist intended for other family members and most of all are they official or were they made to order?
Any information or thoughts regarding these brooches will be appreciated.
Regards, Mike

[iaindh]

Hi Mike,

I don't recall seeing one before so I think you are lucky to have found 3!

My own thoughts but it is pure conjecture is that it may be linked to the WWI 4th SAI, with it having the thistles.

Best of luck Iain

[emties]

Thanks Iain, I also thought it to be WWI but cannot seem to find any further info to substantiate, I hope Brian will be able to provide some input once he returns from holiday. Regard, Mike.

[Milmed]

Have also seen one recently on auction and went pretty cheaply. Cannot say whether WWI or WWII, but those 'thistles' are actually proteas, so i dont believe they have any association with 4SAI.

Steven

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi Mike

Very very nice to see Tinus has added another this time a "brothers"!

I do not suspect they are official, definately made as a Sweetheart Brooch.

Mike, were they all picked up in one region of SA or widespread?

They looked WW1 era, if they are silver is there not a hallmark to confirm age?

I'm sure I saw one at William E's place on my last visit, he might have an insight as to there origin?

Sorry all the questions but we need to document these very well made brooches.

Regards
Brian

[emties]

Welcome back from holidays Brian,
All the badges are marked Sterling Silver and unfortunately there are no makers mark.
The first brooch was found in Boksburg, Transvaal, the 2nd in Port Elizabeth and the last in East London - so the indication is that it was available far wider than a single area. I suspect that they were marketed via the local press at the time as many badges and pins were around in support of various fund raisers for the war effoert. I noticed a article in the daily press during WW2, announcing an official badge to be worn as many different badges abounded - I will find the article and post for the benefit of all.
As you say, William might be able to shed some more info.
Thanks Steven for your input. Can you recall which auction had the brooch for sale as it would be interesting to note their discription.
Regards, Mike

[emties]

Hi All, Whilst searching on the net I came across this site - see link below - on the practice of issuing Female relative badges for male serving relatives. This was done by the Australian authorities for both World Wars. The enamel example for WW1 and the plain example for WW2.
Could this practice have spilled over to South Africa even as a non official badge. Brian, I see that the practice in OZ was to also employ the badge as a next of kin badge for departed loved ones. Definately reason for more research. Regards, Mike

http://anmm.wordpress.com/tag/love-token/

[Milmed]

Hi,
The badge was sold by a BOB dealer from Pretoria last month.

One thing that I note though is that the bilingual spelling is Afrikaans and not Dutch, so that would more than likely place the badge c.WWII
The orange 'ribbon' is also reminiscient of the 'Orange Tab' of the 2nd WW.

I have attached pictures of the sold badge for reference.

Steven

[Brian Conyngham]

Steven

I would say with a 100 % conviction that there is another "hanger" missing from this example....a SON version or a name as with Mikes ?

Good obsevation, if it is Afrikaans and not Dutch then WW2 could be the answer, I would just have expected to see a lot more around if it was WW2.

Regards
Brian

[RobD]

Miskien is ek n bietjie dom, maar wat bedoel die woord "voelgende"?

[emties]

Hi Robd, Both Brian and I could not figure that one out as yet. Even the HAT dictionary does not include that word. The translation from the English should be "Aktiewe" and we thought that it might be a Dutch word, but even there I have drawn a blank. I will try through Radio Sonder Grense on the program "borg n' woord" if they can't provide some explanation.
Brian, your observation that the badge sold on BOB might have had an extra "hanger" seems to be feasable and would most probably have been for a son or sons.
Regards, Mike

[Milmed]

Hi,
I believe the word may be misspelt by the manufacturer. "voelgende" should be read along with 'op', so the word reads as 'opvolgende' which equates to (subsequent, successive, succeding, consecutive, following, next, etc.)

The english (On active service) does not appear to have a direct afrikaans translation, but is implied.

Steven

[Brian Conyngham]

Steven

Yes, something is wrong with the "chosen Afrikaans/Dutch phrase" Mike and myself had a long chat about it today and the word does not exist in Afrikaans?

Brian

[Donny B.]

The badge seems quite similar in idea, though much more elaborate, to the one distributed by the League of Loyal Women in Australia during WW1 and discussed at http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ead.php?t=7758

I man