RAN Service Recognition Badges

[Joe]

Hi All,

I have been stalking this site for some time and decided to seek assistance from the collective brains trust.

A while ago I wrote a short article for the Navy History Section on naval and merchant marine badges (see <https://www.navy.gov.au/customs-and-traditions/navy-recognition-service-badges>).

I have decided to re-write this to add some new badges and correct some errors.

One of the areas needing correction is that relating to the WW1 "Retained for Home Service" and "Home Service" badges.

I would appreciate any information members could provide so as to improve the content of this piece.

One of the new badges i will be adding is attached.

Regards.

Joe

[Bill A]

Hello Joe, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.

[kingsley]

Hi, the naval 'Required for Home Service' and 'Medically Unfit' lapel badges are quite rare, but occasionally turn up on Ebay for those with deep pockets. Also rare are:
1. the Naval Coaling Battalion badge which I think is illustrated somewhere in the Forum.
2. the blue enamel naval 'To the Women of Australia' lapel badge
I think I have scans of both in my files somewhere.

[Lancer 17]

Originally Posted by Joe

Hi All,

I have been stalking this site for some time and decided to seek assistance from the collective brains trust.

A while ago I wrote a short article for the Navy History Section on naval and merchant marine badges (see <https://www.navy.gov.au/customs-and-traditions/navy-recognition-service-badges>).

I have decided to re-write this to add some new badges and correct some errors.

One of the areas needing correction is that relating to the WW1 "Retained for Home Service" and "Home Service" badges.

I would appreciate any information members could provide so as to improve the content of this piece.

One of the new badges i will be adding is attached.

Regards.

Joe

Hi Joe

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your research.

The only one of the above badges that I have seen was in the museum at HMAS Cerberus near Hastings on Western Port Bay. Its quite a rare little thing but I have no knowledge on the other badges mentioned by yourself and Kingsley,

Hi Kingsley.

Regards

Phil.

[Chipper]

Hi Joe,

according to "Australians Awarded" by Clive Johnson, around 5000 of badge you show were made. The numbers are searchable in the archives, and were not sequential, as numbers above 5000 exist. A prefix of "N" indicates a replacement badge. First issued in 1916.

In addition to Kingsley's info, there were badges for:

"Transport Wireless Operators" badge -extremely rare, 400 made

"Navy Transport Services" badge - Enamel and extremely rare

"Aus Mercantile Marine War Zone" badge - rare but come up semi-regularly

"Naval Mothers and Widow's ribbon" -almost impossible to find, 279 issued

Cheers, Tim

[Joe]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the info.

Kingsley, thanks for the offer. I have high quality jpgs for the badges already listed in the article on the Navy History website. I can also get good images for the other badges.

With respect to a naval "Medically Unfit" badge I am not sure that one was ever issued.The only reference, in official documents, I have found to one was in Commonwealth Naval Order 190/1918. I have attached a copy of this below.

Basically it says the Navy was not going to issue one.

Tim, Phil - Yes I agree with respect to finding those badges. Finding hen's teeth is probably easier and cheaper.

The badge I posted is similar to the RAN Returned From Active Service Badge, but is not one.

"Australians Awarded" is correct that there were 5000 badges made. But that appears to have been an initial order. The first 5000 were made with twin lugs and stamped Stokes & Sons Melb.

A second batch of 1000 appears to have been made. These had a flat button hole fitting and were marked Stokes on the back.The different fittings and manufacturer markings would imply two orders.

A third group was ordered and these are the N series with numbers starting at 6000.

With regards to the badge illustrated, I've attached an image which shows the difference between it (on the right) and the Returned Sailor's Badge (on the left). There were 100 of these badges ordered in May 1919. They were numbered 1-100 and were issued to members of the Royal Navy, see copy of Commonwealth Navy Order 103/1919, for specific details.

The register recording the issue of these badges is available at the National Archive of Australia. A13292 Returned Sailors Badges 1914-18 - Original Issues and Replacements (Barcode 9173419). This file has been digitised. If you look at the register you will see references to an RN badge (third column).

Anyway, thanks once more for the suggestions.

Regards.

Joe

[Chipper]

Hi Joe,

I had missed the difference, and was unaware of their existence, so much appreciate the info.

Cheers, Tim

[kingsley]

In one of the earlier Forum threads I mentioned that the Naval Coaling Battalion badge appeared to have been worn on some sort of leather tab, shown in a classic newspaper illustration of these official lapel badges. The quality of the newsprint images is poor and only the shape of the tab can be seen. I made an observation in the earlier posts that coal heavers were unlikely to have worn three piece suits with a lapel.
I will see if I can find the newspaper illustration which I think is buried deep in my files.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by kingsley

In one of the earlier Forum threads I mentioned that the Naval Coaling Battalion badge appeared to have been worn on some sort of leather tab

Here is the thread:

NAVAL TRANSPORT COALING BATTALION BADGE




.

[Joe]

Thanks for that.

I think the numbered disc was a worker id disc. Whereas the enamelled badge was, like most of the badges at this time, for protection against the 'white feather brigade'. That is to say indicating some form of war service.

Regards.

Joe