Comrades of the Great War.

[dumdum]

Hello Mike

You might tire of me saying this but it is sincerely mean it when I say that I do learn so much from your posts!

This will all be filed away in my memory banks, believe me.

When I was setting up the group of badges (thanks for the compliment by the way! ) I was struck by the fact that the large 255 badge has the same numbering font as you see on Gaunt's Silver War Badge numbers (heavy, serifed numbers).

The smaller "telephone numbers" (because of their length...) must have been numbered in a matrix (much as the SWBs were, accounting for their regularity). Having said that, some SWBs were clearly numbered by someone whose eye was a bit "off", using individual number punches!

I did locate a Comrades badge in a small while cardboard box and am guessing that this was how it was given out. Will post a photo just for interest's sake.

I had a look at the badge with the banner and it is 1920, not '21 so Specsavers here I come....

[dumdum]

Just looking down the list of makers of the Comrades badges I see several (Batty, Fattorini & Hood) who made the National Association of Discharged Soldiers & Sailors.

As this association seems to have been set up (in Blackburn?) around the same time as the Comrades, these firms must have made a lot of money from these groupings!

[dumdum]

Hi Mike

This talk of the Comrades caused me to go through the collection of the "others".

While some may have co-existed alongside the Legion, many would have come and gone by the time it came into existence.

If anyone would like to add comments on these associations or would like to see a better photo, just let me know.

This was just put together quickly as a "bit of a larf" as they say...

[Home Guard]

Nice collection of pins! Enjoyed seeing them.

Terry

[dumdum]

Hi Terry

Thanks for your message. Incredible to think that all these associations could exist but maybe that is human nature!

Clearly some were much larger than others, such as the Comrades.

I've tried to look up some of the more obscure ones, such as that large one with the coat of arms in the centre, but they seem to defy identification...

As I was putting this "class photo" together, I found quite a few more ones for social clubs but thought that I'd keep it more exclusive!

PS The title of this post was supposed to be what I'd first intended but it slipped my mind...