WW1 Demobilised Recruit Enlisted in 1918 badge + documents

[Chipper]

Yep the safety chain (and pin) were one of the reasons I thought it may have been a badge maybe issue to volunteers prior to being in uniform, then afterwards converted to a sweetheart. You often see the Female relative badges with chains as well, as an added security.

There is a possibility also, as with some of round home service badges, these were suppose to be returned (and presumably destroyed?) once the recipient was in uniform, hence the scarcity.

Thanks for your input, Mick

Cheers, Tim

[dumdum]

Hi guys

Many thanks for that and Tim et al. have been kind enough to remind me where I would have got it from! The perils of additional birthdays.....

I've decided to count backwards from now on...

Really great to see this generate lots of suggestions even if we never really know the full story!

[dumdum]

Just an extra thought: Donley's book seems to suggest that while the issue of these badges was initially tightly controlled, they were, after a period, "written off" and allowed to remain with the recipient.

This would/ might account for the relatively large numbers of the, say, "Medically Unfit" badges around in all states ranging from "mint" to the seriously relic...

Have I read this correctly?

[Chipper]

That makes sense. Also, presumably medically unfit people were likely permanently in that category, unlike, say munitions workers, who may have joined up at some stage, hence the MU badges are very common as most stayed out there, and the Munitions rarer, as a % would have been returned, and there may have also been less of them to start with.

Cheers, Tim

[dumdum]

An excellent discussion. What collecting should be about!

Good point Tim that the MUs were probably always going to be "MU" but would still get "white feathers" from young and old.

Therefore the MU badge would be a useful item.

[dumdum]

Hi Mick

I've just seen your post on this. Possible that the Pinterest image came from the catalogue that I purchased from. The addition of the chain has a "this is really valuable and I don't want to lose it" touch to it.

Still intrigues the heck out of me.....

[slick_mick]

Originally Posted by dumdum

Hi Mick

I've just seen your post on this. Possible that the Pinterest image came from the catalogue that I purchased from. The addition of the chain has a "this is really valuable and I don't want to lose it" touch to it.

Still intrigues the heck out of me.....

Yes it certainly is a very nice grouping.

Mick