National Association of South African Service Men?

[dumdum]

Anyone able to shed any light on this badge, please? No maker's mark and collar/ cap badge loops which is a trifle odd for an association badge, I thought.

Are the coat of arms those of Birmingham? Or???????

Other question: does this refer to veterans of the Anglo-Boer War or South African veterans of the Great War?

Notice that they appear to have used the title "Service Men" as two words not one!

[dumdum]

Yep, just thought to check. It's Birmingham from what I can see....

[dumdum]

This appears to answer the question I asked and also explain the significance of the Birmingham coat of arms on the badge:

"Such an association was not in fact new, for, in addition to individual regimental reunions, there had previously functioned in Birmingham and a number of other West Midlands towns in England, an organisation under the title of the National Association of South African Servicemen. The NASASM began in April 1906 as the Birmingham Association of South African servicemen and was the brainchild of one Harry J. Sabin, a public accountant who had served with the Birmingham City Division of the St John's Ambulance Brigade in the Wan Another medical man was also active in the affairs of the Association at this time. He was Dr J.F Hall-Edwards, former X-ray specialist at the Deelfontein Imperial Yeomanry Hospital. Field Marshal Earl Roberts agreed to be President.

The Association adopted the word National in its title at a special meeting held in September 1907, in anticipation of a national extension of its activities. These included: regular smoking concerts and reunions; benevolence to needy veterans; the maintenance of a club room; library (suitably equipped with works of military and patriotic interest) and air rifle range at their Headquarters, the King Edward VII Hotel in Birmingham's New Corporation Street; and the establishment of ambulance and signalling corps. A register of members was kept to provide the authorities with a list of men with experience of active service who could be called upon in a time of national emergency.

Membership of the National Association was limited to ex-servicemen who had served in the late Anglo-Boer War or any previous South African campaign."

This website proved especially useful and may interest others:

https://www.samilitaryhistory.org/vol072sd.html

[dumdum]

Meant to include this as it possibly allows the badge to be dated:

"A further change of title is believed to have taken place in 1911 when NASASM became the Active Servicemen's Association, but the association largely became defunct when the bulk of its members, along with a good many other men who had served in South Africa, rejoined the colours in 1914".

I also have badges for the Active Servicemen's Assoc. and had always pondered what their function was! Oddly enough they seem to mostly date from the early 1920's.

[mike_vee]

Great information especially for such a short lived group.

There were so many 'veteran's' groups that either disbanded or merged into larger associations and whose origins have disappeared.

Occasionally a single reference or newspaper article is the only clue available but that is what makes researching so interesting.

.

[dumdum]

Hi Mike

Totally agree! I'd had a silver badge for a group that defied identification until a newspaper archive had an article referring to them and describing the badge in detail!

What it's all about I feel...