Royal Australian Army Survey Corps in WW1

[badgecollector]

hi all
has anyone got one of these and any further information? i just thought it was a variation of the 1930-42 period badge (or more probable 1920s-48 period standard voided badge) but from discussions i have had this appears to be the first pattern WW1 badge.

On 3 July 1915, Military Order 396 of 1915 promulgated that His Excellency the Governor-General has been pleased to approve of: 'A Corps to be called the Australian Survey Corps being raised as a unit of the Permanent Military Forces. All officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men now serving in the Survey Section of the Royal Australian Engineers being transferred to the Australian Survey Corps with their present ranks and seniority.’[2] The effective date of the foundation of the Corps was 1 July 1915 – on that day there were two officers and seventeen warrant officers and NCOs of the Corps (at that stage there were no sappers in the Corps). The Australian Survey Corps was placed fourth in the Order of Precedence of Corps after the Royal Australian Engineers. The unit was commanded by Lieutenant Lynch with Lieutenant Vance as his second-in-command. It is of interest to note that the extract of this Order-in-Council also carried what became the Corps Motto - 'Videre Parare Est', formally adopted in 1965, meaning 'to see is to prepare'.

World War 1

Of the three officers and 17 other ranks who constituted the Survey Corps in 1915, all but three other ranks enlisted in the AIF and saw service in France, Belgium, Egypt or Palestine. Two members, Lieutenant Murray, and Sergeant Stafford, were awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. The first use of air photos for mapping was made during World War 1. Photography was also used to plot trench detail on existing maps compiled by laborious field plotting methods (about 1 sq km per day).

anyway, enjoy
bc

[kingsley]

Quite a rare badge, thanks for the official word about the foundation of the Corps.
There are quite a few of these scarcer WW1 badges, like the Postal Corps recently on the Forum. (I nearly wrote recently posted). Also the 2nd District Guards (now on Ebay), the German Concentration Camp, the Garrison Military PoliceGMP shield, the Central Flying School, the machine gun badge with 2 and a rising sun, the rising sun variations with red enamel cross, and no doubt others.
Do you have any info on the Staff Corps Australia (SCA) title?

[kingsley]

You can add to the list the Pay Corps (AAPC large cursive letters) which I suspect was worn as a head dress badge, and the Naval Bridging Train anchor badge.
Others?

[badgecollector]

hi kingsley
the survey corps was an official badge and was worn officially during ww1 but unsure if worn officially overseas. judging by the information i have come across there couldn't have been many in the corps during the war.
as you say there are several official and unofficial badges that are desirable not only because they are rare but because they are interesting and part of our military history. im putting together a nice little collection of these badges but i dont have or know anything about the Staff Corps Australia (SCA) title.
bc

[fairlie63]

Hi Kingsley,
Australian Staff Corps wasn't formed until 1920 and they wore the curved gilt STAFF CORPS title in Australia and the curved gilt AUSTRALIA title overseas.

Your SCA is actually Australian Survey Corps but expressed SCA to avoid confusion with the ASC.

Keith

Originally Posted by kingsley

Quite a rare badge, thanks for the official word about the foundation of the Corps.
There are quite a few of these scarcer WW1 badges, like the Postal Corps recently on the Forum. (I nearly wrote recently posted). Also the 2nd District Guards (now on Ebay), the German Concentration Camp, the Garrison Military PoliceGMP shield, the Central Flying School, the machine gun badge with 2 and a rising sun, the rising sun variations with red enamel cross, and no doubt others.
Do you have any info on the Staff Corps Australia (SCA) title?

[fairlie63]

Yes, confirmed, MO 683/1915, Australian Survey Corps, Scale of Clothing - Titles SCA - 4.

These scales were for issue to personnel whom had been appointed in Aust Survey Corps prior to 1 June 1915 and I note they are not listed in Price List of Clothing 1918-19.

I did however previously have an example in my collection so they existed in brass.

Keith