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  #16  
Old 19-07-14, 12:43 PM
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Nicely done, congratulations on a lovely set
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  #17  
Old 19-07-14, 02:23 PM
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Congratulations.
Now the meaning of the letters please ...

Here is an article:
http://journals.publishing.monash.ed...ewFile/420/432
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  #18  
Old 19-07-14, 04:52 PM
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.....and I am still at a loss to the reasoning behind the letters "IN" , I was just pleased about the confirmation at the IWM regarding the insignia ,which I had never seen or heard of, it being so obscure....if anyone can add further info that would be great !!
thanks
steve
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  #19  
Old 22-07-14, 01:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arrestingu View Post
.....and I am still at a loss to the reasoning behind the letters "IN" , I was just pleased about the confirmation at the IWM regarding the insignia ,which I had never seen or heard of, it being so obscure....if anyone can add further info that would be great !!
thanks
steve
Hi Steve,

The letters ''IN'' on the cap badge stand for International, and I believe there were 227 British volunteers in the ''Winter War;'' although, I have read over 8, 500 volunteered, yet only a handful ever set foot in Finland. The badges, buttons and indeed uniform would likely be all British made as they took their own uniforms for the most part: including steel helmets, gas masks and weapons. There were also Irish volunteers of a notional size too, plus a few from American and Canada. Also, contingents from the likes of Spain, to name but a few of the ''foreigners'' that participated; approximately 12, 000 troops in total. There were also contributions of aircraft and arms from the likes of Italy and South Africa in addition.

I would imagine this is certainly a rare badge, yes, but it may be dependent to some extent on where it was manufactured and thus distribution to whom, as I think all the ''International'' volunteers had the same design of head-dress badge.

Do you have the former owners name? There exists a list of the 227 names and some sparse details pertaining to each individual, too.

Kind regards,

Marcus

Last edited by Marcus H; 22-07-14 at 05:31 AM.
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  #20  
Old 22-07-14, 10:13 PM
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Hi Marcus,
His Volunteer number was 455 C D ROBERTS hat came with his medals and Letter from the Finnish Aid Bureau (dated March 2, 1940, addressed to "Mr. C.D. Roberts, No. 455, 19 Harvard Rd., Isleworth, Middlesex", signed by Harold Gibson, M.C. Director of the Finnish Air Bureau.
best wishes
Steve
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  #21  
Old 22-07-14, 10:15 PM
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Buttons and badge UK Birmingham maker..british lugs fittments to rear of badge.
deffo British issue !!
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  #22  
Old 23-07-14, 12:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arrestingu View Post
Hi Marcus,
His Volunteer number was 455 C D ROBERTS hat came with his medals and Letter from the Finnish Aid Bureau (dated March 2, 1940, addressed to "Mr. C.D. Roberts, No. 455, 19 Harvard Rd., Isleworth, Middlesex", signed by Harold Gibson, M.C. Director of the Finnish Air Bureau.
best wishes
Steve
Hi Steve,

This is all I could find: his full name is, Charles Dennis Roberts; he was born in 1908; in civilian life he was a warehouse manager; service related rank was a corporal; and, that he enlisted in London.

These details come directly from Finnish sources of the time.

Kind regards,

Marcus
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  #23  
Old 11-06-16, 09:12 PM
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And a button ...
Like the previous poster: chuffed.
b/m is "Made in, England" in 2 dotted circles. Chrome, 25 mm.

Thank you all for this post, because identification would have been impossible without it.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg N I.jpg (58.5 KB, 6 views)

Last edited by btns; 11-06-16 at 09:13 PM. Reason: added size
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  #24  
Old 11-06-16, 09:16 PM
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I have lost out on two of the cap badges, on ebay, since this thread was created. They are out there
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  #25  
Old 12-06-16, 12:31 PM
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From an article published in The Formation Sign Journal of the military Heraldry Society in November 2015

Volunteers were issued with a cap badge with an interesting pedigree. Designed in 1936 for the International Board for Non-Intervention in Spain, the letters standing for Non-Intervention. [See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-in...nish_Civil_War for more details – Ed]. Turned upside down the letters stood for International, the Tudor rose of England becoming Finland’s White Rose. These had been stored in a warehouse in Poole, Dorset since the end of the Spanish Civil War and were collected by the wife of Harold Gibson, Director of the Finnish Aid Bureau which recruited the volunteers.

Jon
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