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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Arm band


alliekiwi

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I recently aquired a V.A.D brooch/badge and with it came an arm band. I'm wondering if the two may be connected, or if they just happen to have been lumped together by the seller.

The armband would originally have been white. It has a red felt cross sewn on it, the number 3498 written in ink, and also a circular stamp which says ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE around the rim, with Jan 1915 handwritten in ink in the centre. On the inside of the arm band (which buttons together with three mother of pearl buttons - all present) where you would not see it when the band is being worn is written in ink D. Cochrane. Kent 92

The 3498 doesn't appear to match with the name Cochrane on the MICs, although there is one for:

Medal card of Cochrane, David

Corps: Royal West Kent Regiment

Regiment No: 9/23264

Rank: Private

Hence me wondering if it is to do with the V.A.D. instead. It just fits around my upper arm, which also makes me think it belongs to a woman, not a man.

Help?

Allie

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Pictures of the above mentioned arm band.

Firstly, a front view (I didn't scan the end with the button holes, but i can't imagine that end will be useful):

scan0001-2.jpg

Secondly, the name, which is written on the back beside where the buttons are sewn on.

scan0002-2.jpg

Allie

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It looks ust like one in the AWM here which was associated with the Boer War. Except a. mine is grubby ;) and b. mine has a date on it which makes it circa WW1.

Allie

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Well, fossicking about through pages on google tells me that 'Kent 92' seems to be the number of one of the VAD hospitals, namely that of New Thames Yacht Club VAD Hospital (Kent/92) (October 1914 - May 1919) in Gravesend. So I think it really is a V.A.D. armband.

Allie

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>><<

On the inside of the arm band (which buttons together with three mother of pearl buttons - all present) where you would not see it when the band is being worn is written in ink D. Cochrane. Kent 92

The 3498 doesn't appear to match with the name Cochrane on the MICs, although there is one for:

Medal card of Cochrane, David

Corps: Royal West Kent Regiment

Regiment No: 9/23264

Rank: Private

Hence me wondering if it is to do with the V.A.D. instead. It just fits around my upper arm, which also makes me think it belongs to a woman, not a man.

>><<

If it was a VAD nurse's:

  • her name was D Cochrane (anyone of that name found on the 1901 Census - assuming she was still unmarried in Jan 1915?), or
  • She was Mrs D Cochrane (anyone of that name in registers of marriages in Kent?)
  • David Cochrane was her boyfriend and she was "wearing her heart on her sleeve" in a manner that would be invisible to the authorities?, or
  • or ..?
David
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Thanks for the suggestions, David. I wonder if the V.A.D.s worked in a hospital in the town whence they came, so that D Cochrane would therefore be listed on the cencus/marriages specifically in Gravesend, and not just somewhere in Kent?

Allie

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  • 11 years later...
  • Admin
42 minutes ago, D Wagner said:

David Cochrane, RW Kent, is a member of my family.  He is commemorated at St. Johns, Lemsford, Hertfordshire.  If you still have his armband all these years later, I would be interested in acquiring it, if it was not too expensive. Thanks.  http://www.lemsfordhistorynews.co.uk/LFDavidCochrane.html

Welcome to the forum

 

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Regards

 

David

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I'm sorry, but I'm fairly certain the armband didn't belong to David Cochrane.  I mentioned him in only in passing because he was in the Royal West Kent Regiment and the arm band had the word Kent on it.  Nothing ties David Cochrane to it: the service number did not match David's, it fits a woman's arm, is of VAD style, has a VAD hospital number on it and came with a VAD badge.  I think it belonged to a woman in the VAD named D. Cochrane. 🙂

 

 

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