National Reserve badges of WW1

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National Reserve badges of WW1
By Barry O’Sullivan
The badges of the National Reserve, (New Zealand’s civilian home front unit of World War One), come with different coloured crowns, different coloured borders, different attachments to the rear and a series of different coloured ribbons. What are the differences and what are the significances of these differences? This research follows on from my article The National Reserve of World War One, Canterbury’s Contribution published in The Volunteers, the Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society in October 2014.
The Defence Act of 1909 included provision for a reserve which was based on the reserve in England. The National Reserve in New Zealand was open to volunteers who had previous service in the military forces or semi military organisations like the Red Cross and the St. John Ambulance Association and was open to men between the ages of 20 to 60. The National Reserve was not open to members of the defence forces or the Government sanctioned rifle clubs. The units were run along military lines but had elected executive committees to run the organisation at unit level, very similar to the pre-1909 Volunteer organisations. During the pre-war years (1910-1914) the National Reserve took a back seat to the Territorial Force and the first National Reserve unit was formed in Dunedin on 6th February 1914. It was not until the outbreak of WW1 that the National Reserve began to flourish.
The National Reserve had no legal standing and initially, the war effort undertaken by the National Reserve was hampered by a lack of resources. It was not until 12th October 1915 that the National Reserve was put into law with an amendment to the 1909 Defence Act. Section 3 of the 1915 Act put the National Reserve on a military footing for service within New Zealand and specified that it would be formed on the day that a notice was placed in the New Zealand Gazette. This gazette notice was dated 1st March 1916 and was to take effect on the day of publication, 9th March 1916. The National Reserve is often miss-credited as being formed on 26th October 1915, but this is the date of the Registration Act of 1915.
The badges of the New Zealand National Reserve were based on the English design of badge which had an enamelled border containing the title above, and the district below, in the centre is a crown. In New Zealand regional, area and sub district unit designations were produced. The badge is oval and most badges measure 29mm x 24mm but at least one maker (Watts) made a batch of slightly larger badges at 32mm x 25 mm.
National Reserve badges
Auckland
Hamilton
Cambridge
Hawera
Hawera DRC [Defence Rifle Club]
blue, red and green boarders
Patea
Palmerston North
Well. Mil. Dist, G6, Oroua
Well. Mil. Dist, G7, Napier
Well. Mil. Dist, G7, Wairoa
Well. Mil. Dist, G7, Hastings
Well. Mil. Dist, G7, Gisborne
Well. Mil. Dist, G7a ………*
Well. Mil. Dist, G7b, Ruahine
Well. Mil. Dist, G7c, Gisborne
Wellington (4 different shades of blue border)
Marlborough
Greymouth
Canterbury
Otago
Southland (blue border)
Southland (maroon border)
Women’s National Reserve, Canterbury
N.Z. Railways
Post and Telegraph*
* Presumed but not seen

The first Southland badge was a maroon ribbon with the words ‘Southland National Reserve’ printed in gold lettering. These ribbons were issued on the 4th of September 1914 and were to be worn until the enamelled badges were produced, which became available from mid-December 1914 and could be brought for 2 shillings each. The maroon colour was chosen as this is the official colour of the province of Southland. Later blue enamel Southland badges were produced to conform with the badges of other districts.
Initially the badges were produced with a crescent shaped attachment to the rear for wearing in the buttonhole of the jacket or coat lapel. Later badges with a brooch clip were also produced. The idea of a brooch clip was so that the badge could be worn by female members of the Reserve, but the brooch clip also enabled the badge to be worn on the cap. The Marlborough Branch introduced brooch clip badges in June 1915 when at a meeting ‘the secretary was directed to procure a supply of badges of similar design to those now worn, but with a safety-pin attachment, for issue to lady members’.
In mid-1915 Captain T.W. Porter C.B. toured the country promoting the establishment of a ladies’ honorary reserve branch of the National Reserve. He stated that the badge of active members is to be a gilded crown, whereas honorary members to have a silver crown within the enamelled border. The National Reserve movement was strong and popular in Wellington where a Women’s branch was established in November 1915 with branches established in the surrounding Wellington Military District as well. The Women’s branch introduced Honorary and Active subscription rates. Honorary members paid 5 shillings whereas active members paid 2 shillings. The badges were to be similar to that of the men’s, but the crown in the centre was silver instead of gold.
On the 1st of March 1916 the differences in the crown colour was made official with the addition of a rule which stated that ‘the badge distinguishing the ‘honorary’ from the ‘active’ member is by the crown in the centre being silver instead of bronze’. Both brass and silver-coloured crowns with brooch pin backs have been observed but no silver badges with the crescent clip have been seen. The cost of membership was 2 shillings, but a local levy could be applied if required by the local unit. Generally, honorary members paid double the subscription of active members.
The Dominion Council of the National Reserve met for the first time on the 21st of June 1916 where the rules and regulations were looked at and new rules added. The Reserve was now divided into three classes; 1- Enrolled for active military service; 2- civilian members not necessarily required to undergo active military training but ready for active clerical, record, or accountancy duties; 3- honorary members. Uniform was expected to be worn by Dominion, District and Divisional staff officers. Other officers were encouraged to wear uniform and units had the option of adopting a uniform of their choice, but first, it had to be approved by the Dominion commandant. The cost of a uniform was often beyond the reach of most units and many units adopted a civilian cap. At the Dominion council meeting it was decided that the National Reserve badge was to be worn by all ranks on the cap when in uniform and on the left lapel when in civilian clothing. Officers’ crown or stars were to be attached to the top and sides of the badge with warrant officers and non-commissioned officers to have chevrons below the badge.
The financial efficiency of members continued to be an issue for units so in July 1916 the executive of the National Reserve introduced a series of coloured ribbons to indicate if a member was financial or not. The ribbons were an inch wide and were to be worn under the National Reserve badge with one inch hanging below.
The colours chosen were.

1st Regiment, red and gold, A company, red
B company, gold
C Company, red and gold vertical stripes
D company, red and gold horizontal stripes
2nd Regiment, light and dark blue, A company, light blue
B company, dark blue
C company, light and dark blue vertical
stripes
D company, light and dark blue
horizontal stripes
Ammunition Column, dark blue and red
Army Service Corps, white
Medical Service Corps, cherry
A black ribbon was worn when instructed, below the badge as a mark of respect when in mourning and was to be worn for one week.
A similar badge with a green enamel oval border was used by Defence Rifle Clubs and bears the words ‘New Zealand Defence Rifles’. These badges and the Defence Rifle clubs are not to be associated with the National Reserve as they were both different organisations with different levels of Governmental support. Some National Reserve units did register as a Defence Rifle club to get extra funding, and as such their badges bear the letters D.R.C.
The badges of the National Reserve were made by a number of different makers and the back of the badge is usually marked. The makers were Moller of Dunedin, Watts of Auckland and Bock of Wellington. The makers marks seen are Moller Dn., Moller, Reuben Watts, Watts, Bock Wellington (straight) and Bock Wellington (curved). Not all badges have a maker’s mark. Some badges have a number stamped onto the rear. These numbers would have corresponded with a number in a register kept by each unit.

If anyone has any more information about the badges of the National Reserve or knowns of any district badges or makers not mentioned, then I would be happy to hear from you. Any badges with ribbons would be very welcome.