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Remembered Today:

Old Contemptibles Association - List of badge numbers


Andy Wade

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If this is in the wrong section, could someone from admin move it to a more appropriate one please?

Because nobody has come up with a source for any master list held by the Old Contemptibles Association for the badges they issued, I'm starting a master list of the numbers of Old Contemptible Badge numbers.

The forum search engine should be able to pull a name out of the list for you so I'm doing it numerically for now rather than alphabetically.

Please just quote the last post and add any names and numbers and names that you have to the list in numerical order.

287C Nixon, Arthur

644D Cawston, Wallace

1567C Driver, Harold

1570C Boyes, Harry

1575C Normington, William

1576C Derrick, Michael

2528C Ellis, Olroyd

2532C Thomas, James

4827B Yeomans, Joseph

6572 Finan, John (no letter apparent)

8812B Burnett, William George

8822B Pye, William Thomas

8823B Grange, William

8830B Hayes, Thomas Henry

9467B Foy, Edward

9471B Hainsworth, Herbert

9874B Gower, Frederick

9877B Gardner, Maurice Allen

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If this is in the wrong section, could someone from admin move it to a more appropriate one please?

Because nobody has come up with a source for any master list held by the Old Contemptibles Association for the badges they issued, I'm starting a master list of the numbers of Old Contemptible Badge numbers.

The forum search engine should be able to pull a name out of the list for you so I'm doing it numerically for now rather than alphabetically.

Please just quote the last post and add any names and numbers and names that you have to the list in numerical order.

287C Nixon, Arthur

644D Cawston, Wallace

1567C Driver, Harold

1570C Boyes, Harry

1575C Normington, William

1576C Derrick, Michael

2528C Ellis, Olroyd

2532C Thomas, James

2987D Chittenden, Arthur

4827B Yeomans, Joseph

6572 Finan, John (no letter apparent)

8812B Burnett, William George

8822B Pye, William Thomas

8823B Grange, William

8830B Hayes, Thomas Henry

9467B Foy, Edward

9471B Hainsworth, Herbert

9874B Gower, Frederick

9877B Gardner, Maurice Allen

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  • 1 year later...

If this is in the wrong section, could someone from admin move it to a more appropriate one please?

Because nobody has come up with a source for any master list held by the Old Contemptibles Association for the badges they issued, I'm starting a master list of the numbers of Old Contemptible Badge numbers.

The forum search engine should be able to pull a name out of the list for you so I'm doing it numerically for now rather than alphabetically.

Please just quote the last post and add any names and numbers and names that you have to the list in numerical order.

285C Stephenson, Fred

286C Wilson, Arthur Parker

287C Nixon, Arthur

288C Winkley, John

289C Dixon, William

291C Moorhouse, Iveson

292C Daynes, John William

293C Longman, Walter

294C Goff, Charles

619C Whitehall, Joseph

644D Cawston, Wallace

645D Hum, Benjamin

647D Birdsall, James

1567C Driver, Harold

1570C Boyes, Harry

1573C Geldard, Edward

1574C Whitaker, William

1575C Normington, William

1576C Derrick, Michael

1853B Stewart, Harry

2049D Chatten, Sandell Edward

2526C Ideson, Willie

2527C Whittemore, George

2528C Ellis, Olroyd

2532C Thomas, James

2534C Smith, Albert

2630C Templeton, William

2987D Chittenden, Arthur

4827B Yeomans, Joseph

6572 Finan, John

8812B Burnett, William George

8815B Emery, Robert William Mayes

8816B Sugden, Frank

8817B Liddimore, Albert Victor

8820B Metcalfe

8821B Carroll, Charles

8822B Pye, William Thomas

8823B Grange, William

8824B Duckett, Thomas

8826B Henry, Thomas

8827B Hardisty, Henry MM

8828B Kershaw, George MM

8829B Pryke, William

8829B Tinkler, John Thomas ?

8830B Hayes, Thomas Henry

8831B Cox, William

9062A Tighe, Albert E

9467B Foy, Edward

9468B Silverwood, Christopher

9469B Bugler, George William

9470B Martin, John

9471B Hainsworth, Herbert

9472B Langstaff, John Robert

9473B Catterson, Cuthbert

9475B Baker, Captain (Captain is his Christian name, not a rank)

9476B Langstaffe, George

9873B Jowett, Tom

9874B Gower, Frederick

9877B Gardner, Maurice Allen

9878B Moore, Percy

9880B Walworth, Walter

9896 Davis, John William

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One thing that I noticed as I was collating the list of Keighley men is that there seems to be blocks of badge numbers that have been allocated to the branch, there are perhaps six or seven distinct blocks in this set of numbers.
It may show something of the way the Old Contemptibles Association was organised. To me at least, allocation of badge numbers appears to have been done nationally rather than locally.

I wonder if each branch was sent badges to go with the number blocks the branch had been allocated and the badges were sent out to either the branch (or direct to each member) from a main office?

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Andy

Out of interest, where have you obtained this information from????

Sepoy

Fortunately for me, a set of Keighley OCA branch membership record sheets was made available for scanning by the Grandson of George Kershaw MM who was the Secretary (and also the Chairman for a while). They appear to be quite rare, to say the least.

I have 78 membership records for Keighley Branch. And we also have the Keighley OCA standard which was laid up in a church in 1968, then much later it was given to the local Territorial Army barracks and when that was threatened with closure it was signed over to our project (for a while - we are only custodians) and we have managed to obtain some funding for conservation work on the standard, after we have paraded it on the Centenary at Remembrance day this year.

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  • 11 months later...

I am not sure how the project of the Master List of Old Contemptibles Badges is going.

I have recently acquired one with a 1914 Star Trio and ribbon bar.

The badge is number 176C

The soldier - 6584 Pte Edwin A McKone 1st Dorsets.

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  • 3 years later...
On 03/03/2013 at 16:51, Andy Wade said:

If this is in the wrong section, could someone from admin move it to a more appropriate one please?

Because nobody has come up with a source for any master list held by the Old Contemptibles Association for the badges they issued, I'm starting a master list of the numbers of Old Contemptible Badge numbers.

The forum search engine should be able to pull a name out of the list for you so I'm doing it numerically for now rather than alphabetically.

Please just quote the last post and add any names and numbers and names that you have to the list in numerical order.

287C Nixon, Arthur

644D Cawston, Wallace

1567C Driver, Harold

1570C Boyes, Harry

1575C Normington, William

1576C Derrick, Michael

2528C Ellis, Olroyd

2532C Thomas, James

4827B Yeomans, Joseph

6572 Finan, John (no letter apparent)

8812B Burnett, William George

8822B Pye, William Thomas

8823B Grange, William

8830B Hayes, Thomas Henry

9467B Foy, Edward

9471B Hainsworth, Herbert

9874B Gower, Frederick

9877B Gardner, Maurice Allen

2190A Cartlidge, Frederick

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Could anyone please tell me the name of the soldier who held badge number 9180B and also his regiment if possible.

Many thanks,

 

Tony McG.

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  • 1 month later...

My grandfather was an Old Contemptible. Ernest Tompkins. Service number 5778

Badge number 192107 A rifleman in 1st Brigade of Kings Royal Rifle Corp. 

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  • 1 month later...

I thought this information may be of interest in relation to Old Contemptibles’ Association Badges.

 

Manufactured for the Association by Toye & Co. Ltd., the design consists of a voided crossed swords, enclosed in a circlet bearing the legend OLD CONTEMPTIBLES’ ASSOCIATION, with two central scroll on which is superscribed “1914” and “AUG. 5 TO NOV. 22”, the qualification dates for the clasp to the 1914 Star issued to those eligible to receive it.

 

On the reverse of the badge is stamped a unique number, which corresponded to that issued to a Chum on his official acceptance into the Association. A second number – 726347 – relates to the registration number of the Association badge’s design with the Patent Office.

 

The Badge remained the property of the Association, and in 1937 cost 1/-, the Chum signing a declaration to hand in his badge should he resign or be dismissed from a Branch. In spite of the strict ruling regarding the return of Association Badges on a Chum resigning or leaving a Branch, these emblems were open to abuse. In a letter to the Editor of The Derby Daily Telegraph published on 5 November 1937, Chum King of the Derby Branch made it very clear to the readers of the importance of the Badges within the Association, and the contract into which the Chums had entered when they were issued with them:

 

“Sir, My attention has been drawn to a recent report in your paper of police court proceedings in which the accused pleaded for leniency on the grounds of being an Old Contemptible.

 

Now, while this statement may be correct and the person concerned may have been wearing our association badge, my committee desire me to make it quite plain that this person is no longer a member, having forfeited all rights some years ago.

 

Unfortunately, there are at the present time a considerable number of past members walking the streets wearing our badge who are strictly not entitled to do so.

 

Some obviously joined to gain possession of the badge and flaunt it in the eyes of the public, giving everyone the impression that they won the war. Others, quite genuine good fellows, have fallen behind with subscriptions or stay away through apathy.

 

To those in the latter category we offer an invitation to rejoin on the payment of a purely nominal sum, to cover H.Q.’s subscriptions.

 

To the others we give timely warning that legal steps will be taken in the near future to enforce the return of the badge, which is strictly association property, and only on loan to the wearer.

 

The fee paid will be returned on the production of the badge.

 

If any of the general public are approached by individuals wearing the badge, claiming to belong to our association, and are in doubt as to their bona-fides, they are earnestly requested to communicate with the undersigned, and so help us to protect the good name of the Old Contemptibles’ Association. – Yours, etc.,

 

A. KING,

Hon. secretary Derby Branch

Old Contemptibles’ Association.”

 

The importance of the Badge was further emphasised by the frequent appeals on behalf of Chums who had lost theirs, or Badges that had been found following parades or social functions:

 

Derby Daily Telegraph – 27 January 1931:

 

“Mr F. S. Cooper, hon. secretary of Derby branch of the Old Contemptibles’ Association, informs the “Derby Telegraph” that badges 973A and 689 have been lost.

 

He asks the finders to return them to his home “The Briars,” Cowsley-road, Derby, or the Wilmot Arms.”

 

“The Old Contemptible” – No. 30, June 1936:

 

“BADGE No. 8559. At the Drill Hall, Handel Street, W.C.2. On the 15th March upon the occasion of the London Area Parade. Will the finder please return to Chum C. A. Knight, Hon. Sec., Southall Branch, 28, Warwick Road, Southall.”

 

“The Old Contemptible” – No. 46, October 1937:

 

BADGE FOUND. Badge No. 7703 was found in a taxicab in Ypres, and was handed to Chum Carter of Newcastle, on a recent visit. Will the Chum to whom this was issued kindly apply to me.[1] (Or the Branch Secretary to whom issued).

 

“The Old Contemptible” – No. 258, July 1955:

 

“The undernoted Badges have been lost by Chums. Finders should return them to the General Secretary (Rule 75(e)).

 

1657-C; 4474-C; 1396-D; 1627-E; 1884-E.”

 

With regard to the use of the badge when a Chum died the final edition of Association Rules, published in June 1975, clarified the situation:

 

“In the event of the death of a member, the widow or other nearest relative may retain his badge if they wish to do so, but they shall undertake that it shall not be worn.”

 

With regard to the number of badges issued during the lifetime of The Old Contemptibles’ Association, on 23 March 1935, at the Annual Dinner of the South Buckinghamshire Branch held at the White Hart Hotel in High Wycombe, the General Secretary of the National Executive, Chum Thomas Quick, stated that there were some 8,400 Chums who had paid their subscriptions and that since the Association had been founded in 1925 over 28,000 badges had been issued. Unfortunately the rolls on which the numbers of the badges issued to individual Chums were recorded have not survived, but based on the use of suffixes A-E used on later badges, I have estimated that over 50,000 were issued. Allowing for the issue of replacement badges, it is therefore likely that nearly 50,000 ‘Old Contemptibles’ were accepted as Chums over the sixty years in which the National Executive of the Association operated.

 

I am currently working on compiling a nominal roll of Chums of The Old Contemptibles’ Association, and I can add the following badge numbers and details to this list:

 

Chum Thomas Beesley

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 8901A

7000, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

Died 1975

 

Chum John Herbert Binley (served as Wood)

Woolwich Branch – Badge No. 1783

62732, XXXIX Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Died 9 June 1935

 

Chum Henry Cecil Ferris Bryan

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 8898A

H/2255, 3rd (King’s Own) Hussars

Died 15 December 1958

 

Chum Percy Buckingham

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 953B

3/7179, 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment

Died 1940

 

Chum Robert Edward Burkett – Badge No. 6218A

Gravesend & District Branch

11225, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Dublin Fusiliers

Died 24 April 1947

 

Chum Joseph Clarke

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 6743B

L/3663, 12th (Prince of Wales’s) Royal Lancers

 

Chum Alfred Couldrey

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 1930B

1441, 1/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Hussars) (Territorial Force)

Died 1960

 

Chum William Dowsing

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 1928B

8801, 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment)

Died 1976

 

Chum Isaac Fry

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 9983A

9677, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

 

Chum David William Gammage – Badge No. 4856D

Ipswich & District Branch

MS/2375, Meerut Divisional Supply Column, Army Service Corps

Died 1955

 

Chum Robert Frederick Giles – Badge No. 3878A

Gravesend & District Branch

8390, “C” Company, 2nd Battalion, The Welsh Regiment

 

Chum William Hanks

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 6743B

8144, 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)

 

Chum Frederick W. Haynes

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 9506B

7647, 2nd Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

 

Chum Joseph John Frank Hignell (Frank)

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 8889A

2nd Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)

Died 1969

 

Chum Frederick Hiles

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 8892A

21790, 7th Field Company, Royal Engineers

Died 1968

 

Chum Percy W. Howse

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 5248B

1398, 1/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Yeomanry (Hussars) (Territorial Force)

 

Chum Henry Ilott   

City of Oxford Branch       - Badge No. 8897A

CHT/841 Wagoners' Special Reserve, attached No. 1 Reserve Park, Army Service Corps

 

Chum John Wardner (Cracker Jack) Jones – Badge No. 8719

Liverpool & Merseyside Branch

3262, 14th (King’s) Hussars, attached 7th Mobile Veterinary Section, Army Veterinary Corps

Died 1940

 

Chum Cecil Bradley Lapworth

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 1544B

2991, 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)

Died 4 October 1940

 

Chum James Edward Mott

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 4296B

9265, 1st Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)

 

Chum Arthur Ernest Moulder

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 5725

2025, 1/1st Battalion, The Hertfordshire Regiment (Territorial Force)

Died 1976

 

Chum William Murray

Founder (Hackney) Branch – Badge No. 75

L/8607, 4th Battalion, The Duke of Cambridge’s Own (Middlesex Regiment)

Died October 1935

 

Chum James Robb

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Branch – Badge No. 453A

3/9526, 2nd Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry

Died 1968

 

Chum Frederick William Salcombe

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 381B

8362, 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment

Died April 1964

 

Chum William Henry Simmons

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 5347B

72346, XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

 

Chum Charles Snelley

Hastings & St Leonards Branch – Badge No. 3670

12956, 48th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Died 1970

 

Chum Charles James Skelton Stevens

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 5246B

50242, XXVI Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Died 4 March 1965

 

Chum Albert Edward Tagg

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 9501A

18299, 3rd Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery

Died 20 August 1963

 

Chum Herbert William Tame

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 110B

T/33292, Headquarters Company, 2nd Divisional Train, Army Service Corps

Died 1947

 

Chum William Styles Trollope

City of Oxford Branch – Badge No. 952B

24328, 23rd Field Company, Royal Engineers

Died 24 July 1987

 

Chum Albert Edward Winchcombe – Badge No. 4574C

Swindon Branch

62317, 22nd Battery, XXXIV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery[2]

Died 4 April 1973

 

Chums resigned from The Old Contemptibles’ Association during 1935:

 

Chum H. Duckworth – Badge No. 168A

Blackpool Branch

 

Chum A. Grant – Badge No. 409A

Blackpool Branch

 

Chums expelled from The Old Contemptibles’ Association during 1935:

 

Chum Beale – Badge No. 7962

Duchy of Cornwall Branch

 

Chum W. Buckley – Badge No. 5709A

Croydon Branch

 

Chum W. H. Clarke – Badge No. 6341

Barking Branch

 

Chum E. Lupton – Badge No. 408A

Blackpool Branch

 

Chum S. A. Read – Badge No. 9019A

Downham & District Branch (Lewisham)

 

[1] Chum Thomas Sidney Quick, then Honorary General Secretary of The Old Contemptibles’ Association.

[2] Chum Winchcombe was also a member of the Great Western Railway Old Contemptibles and 1914-15 Star Association.

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1 hour ago, AndrewThornton said:

am currently working on compiling a nominal roll of Chums of The Old Contemptibles’ Association

Chum Albert Edward Allen
Brixton Branch – Badge No. 5748
L10103 1st Battalioan Middlesex Regiment
Died 29th September 1961

 

Photo of Old Contemptibles’ Association parade, full size version here.

 

Thought to be Brixton about 1925. Chum Allen 4th from right, back row.

 

Howard

Allen-Armistice day.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

3119 (no letter apparent) Poultney, Leonard Frank

AB London RNVR, L3039, Hawke Bn, Royal Naval Division. Antwerp Oct. 1914 later interned in Holland (my father)

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57 minutes ago, AndrewThornton said:

Do you know which Branch he may have belonged to? 

He just made it to Able Seaman after 13 Tuesday nights at the London RNVR Drill Hall on the South Bank opposite Charing Cross (he signed up the week after Easter 1914), was mobilised with all RNVR on 2 August. After three weeks hanging around in London they were sent to Deal for five weeks for infantry training and then sailed from Dover to Dunkirk on 5 October and entrained for Antwerp and straight into the trenches for a week while the BEF was being reinforced further north. In Deal they merged with RNR Lewismen (Gaelic speakers, mainly deep sea fishermen), tough and dependable old-hand Geordie reservists (including many stokers), Bristolians and Portsmouth RNR and RNVR as well as older RMLI and RM Artillery gunners and some Guards officers. At Antwerp his Bn, Hawke, didn't receive the order to withdraw in due time and was virtually cut off by Uhlan cavalry before the naval commander, Commodore Henderson, led 1,500 of them across the border into neutral Holland.

 

The London RNVR were mainly school leavers or young lads with first jobs in the City, looking for something interesting to do and a chance to spend a few weeks at sea after training. But when the war broke out there weren't enough ships for the reservists and they were formed into the Royal Naval Division and fought on land throughout at Antwerp, Gallipoli and the western Front. Earned quite a reputation for themselves.

 

 

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Thank you, but I perhaps should have clarified that I meant which Branch of The Old Contemptibles' Association he was a Chum of. The reason why I ask is that I am currently trying to compile a Nominal Roll of Chums of The Old Contemptibles' Association, which relates to the badge that he was issued with once his eligibility for membership had been confirmed. Based on the B suffix on the number stamped on the rear of the badge it would have been issued sometime during 1936 - Badge No. 2497B was sent to a Chum of the Croydon Branch in May of that year. 

Edited by AndrewThornton
Spelling correction.
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He was chairman of the Manchester Branch when he died in 1963. I don't know which branch he first joined. More details and documents in the attic but I won't be up there this side of 2020

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On 17/12/2019 at 15:48, 4knots2fast said:

Poultney, Leonard Frank  AB London RNVR, L3039, Hawke Bn, Royal Naval Division.

Your father's RNVR Official No, was L3/3139 (in full :- London Division, No.3 Company/3139).

1 hour ago, 4knots2fast said:

they were sent to Deal for five weeks for infantry training

To be accurate, Hawke Bn. was not formed at Deal (The Recruit Depot RMLI), on 22 August 1914, but in a tented camp ar Walmer, just to the south.

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5 hours ago, 4knots2fast said:

He was chairman of the Manchester Branch when he died in 1963. I don't know which branch he first joined. More details and documents in the attic but I won't be up there this side of 2020

That's great. Thank you, I can now add him to my Nominal Roll. 

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7314B. Astill, Frank.  7th Field Coy RE.    Northampton Branch

 

Edwin

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21 minutes ago, edwin astill said:

7314B. Astill, Frank.  7th Field Coy RE.    Northampton Branch

 

Edwin

Thanks Edwin. I can add the information regarding him being a member of the Northampton Branch - I knew he was a Chum of the Bournemouth & District Branch much later. 

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  • 2 months later...

I am looking for for my grandfather's name in the contemptible list

 I have a photo which I have found with stuff as I trying to do my family tree! my grandfather is Arthur john George Veness? Dont know how to upload the photo!!!!

Many thanks Di 

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Welcome Dia

16 hours ago, Dia said:

I am looking for for my grandfather's name

Was he a Seaforth Highlander?

 

Max

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