Derek Black Posted 13 February , 2017 Share Posted 13 February , 2017 (edited) I don't suppose anyone knows what regiment recieved the first batch of SWB's and when, starting at No.1 presumably? The lowest I've seen in the rolls is 502, compiled on the 20th Sept, 1916. Also what is the last numbered SWB issued? Cheers, Derek. Edited 13 February , 2017 by Derek Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 13 February , 2017 Share Posted 13 February , 2017 Not sure if these stats (all being OR's unless stated as being an officer issue) will help or hinder, but... ... badge number '1' was issued to an officer from the Notts & Derby Regt, No.'2' was to the Border Regt , '3' was to the Cyclist Corps, '4' was to the Scottish Horse and '5' was to the Wiltshire Regiment....all officers (apart (possibly) from '5') and all issued in September 1916 '01' was to the RASC, as was 02, 03, 04 and 05 (etc).... all January 1920 issues. There is no '001', '0001', '00001' or '000001' etc Quote The lowest I've seen in the rolls is 502, compiled on the 20th Sept, 1916. 501... Lancs Fus (issued 9th October 1916) 500... Lancs Fus (issued 9th Oct 1916) 450.. Kings Own (Ryl Lancaster) (issued 7th Oct 1916) 400... 17th Lancers (issued 4th October 1916) 300...Somerset Lit Inf. (issued 28th Sept 1916) 200... Somerset Lt. Inf (issued 3rd Oct 1916) 150... Somerset Lt.Inf (issued 3rd Oct 1916) 125... 5th Dragoon Gds (issued 4th Oct 1916) 101... Ryl Horse Guards (issued 29th Sept 1916) 100... Notts & Derby officer (issued 28th Sept 1916) 75... Monmouthshire Regt officer (issued 28th Sept 1916) 50 ... RAMC officer (issued 28th Sept 1916) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 13 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 13 February , 2017 Dave, Many thanks. It seems there is no real order to them then. The 1 and 01 is most odd. Cheers, Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 13 February , 2017 Share Posted 13 February , 2017 (edited) The highest number that I have seen issued to the Army was badge 525500 issued to the Labour Corps in June 1922. Although this was probably the highest number it does not mean that it was the last issued as some that had been returned were re-issued at later dates. The highest number with a B prefix I have seen was badge B350000 issued to the RAMC in December 1919 and the highest number 0 prefix badge was 05000 issued in April 1920 Steve Edited 13 February , 2017 by hmsk212 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 13 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 13 February , 2017 (edited) Steve, Over 525,000 applied for the SWB then, that leaves a fair amount of discharged and time expired men who never bothered i suppose. SWB retuned by those who applied for them were later issued again, but with another number? Cheers, Derek. Edited 13 February , 2017 by Derek Black Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 13 February , 2017 Share Posted 13 February , 2017 26 minutes ago, Derek Black said: SWB retuned by those who applied for them were later issued again, but with another number? Hi Derek No they were re-issued with the original number. Quite a few of the badges issued to Officers had previously been issued and returned. They were returned for various reasons including failure of delivery to original recipient, duplicate issue returned etc etc. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 13 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 13 February , 2017 2 minutes ago, hmsk212 said: They were returned for various reasons including failure of delivery to original recipient, duplicate issue returned etc etc. I see. Well I am surprised at that, you'd think because they had to be applied for then the addresses would be very up to date, unlike service record details used for medal deliveries. Cheers again Steve. Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 (edited) My Grandfather, Petty Officer E T Ellis MZ/205 RNVR, received SWB No 100 on 14th October 1916 according to this register. This was almost one year after he was invalided out of th RN due to injuries received just after the 3rd Battle of Krithia in Gallipoli on June 6th 1915. But I'm not sure if this is just an RN Register as all recipients on it appear to be Naval or RM Enlisted men. Perhaps there were different registers for different services or regiments etc. As stated by hmsk212 above, it seems odd that some Badges were issued as late as 1920 because one reason for issuing and wearing them was to stop injured soldiers from being called cowards when they could no longer fight due to their injuries. Edited 15 February , 2017 by Lawryleslie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEW Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 From Hansard June 1921 The total number of Silver War badges awarded to date is 1,228,882. November 1927 Number of Silver War Badges issued 1/4/1927 - 26/11/1927. Issued = 3 Issued in replacement of medals lost, etc. = 14 TEW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 15 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2017 That looks very different from the Army SWB rolls i've seen on Ancestry Lawry, so perhaps it's just the way the senior service did their administration? TEW, thanks for that. 1.2 million seems a more realistic number, even if it was something that had to be applied for. Maybe the post war applications were done by men to add to ones lapel at regimental reunions? Thanks all. Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 (edited) I have a relative's service record in which there is a receipt for his SWB dated Nov 1919. He was suffering from malaria and I'd got the impression from reading it that he had applied for a war pension, had been classed as less than 20% disabled and sent the badge as well as his pension so maybe this is the sort of reason why some of them were issued after the end of the war. Michael Edited 15 February , 2017 by Shiny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 To the end of Sep 1920 they issued 1,199,629 SWB's Men were being encouraged after the war to apply but the qualifying conditions were expanded in 1919 so that would have brought a lot more men in to the fold to claim retrospectively. There are reports that some employers were using a SWB as proof a man had served and been discharged before accepting them for work. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 15 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 15 February , 2017 17 minutes ago, Shiny said: sent the badge as well as his pension so maybe this is the sort of reason why some of them were issued after the end of the war. 5 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said: There are reports that some employers were using a SWB as proof a man had served and been discharged before accepting them for work. Both would be good reasons if accurate. Cheers, Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 March 1919 - it had been sufficient to bring it to the attention of the army council. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 Hi With RAF Silver War Badges the highest number I have seen was RAF 11052 and this was issued in November 1924. Badges were issued to men who had been discharged from the RAF with a cut off date of 31st December 1919 ( by Royal Decree ). If you were discharged after that date you were not entitled to a War Badge but you could still be issued with a King's Certificate. Badge RAF 10825 was issued to 120875 Joseph McCullagh on 5th May 1920 but was later withdrawn it was subsequently issued to 98588 Albert Salt on 17th April 1936. Albert had been discharged in August 1918. The latest date that I have come across for a badge being issued was for RAF 10498 issued on 15th February 1940 to 139953 Allen Withers as a replacement ( on prepayment ) for a badge of the same number issued on 19th February 1920, which I assume he had lost. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 15 February , 2017 Share Posted 15 February , 2017 There were several issues of the badge. The O prefix was on badges issued between December 1919 and January 1920 of which approximately 5,000 were issued. The B pre-fix was issued between September 1918 and December 1919 of which some 450,000 issued. There were two earlier issues September 1916 to September 1918 with no pre-fix of which 335,000 were issued and the second of this series was issued between March 1918 and September 1918, approximately 450,000. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Black Posted 16 February , 2017 Author Share Posted 16 February , 2017 Thanks Craig and Steve, interesting stuff. Terry, it seems you've provided everything i wondered about SWB issue, in a nutshell. Thank you. Cheers all, Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart T Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 I am just starting to trace a man who enlisted in October 1916 and was transferred from the Northants Regiment to the RFC by February 1918. He served in Egypt and was discharged (from the RAF) in September 1918 due to malaria. I have found this on Ancestry in WO 364. This gives his numbers as 30368 Northants and 138174 RAF. However, I can find nothing by name or by number on TNA or Ancestry leading to an MIC or Medal Roll for BWM & VIC or for SWB. Any ideas, please? He was Walter Reginald Butcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Stuart T said: I am just starting to trace a man who enlisted in October 1916 and was transferred from the Northants Regiment to the RFC by February 1918. He served in Egypt and was discharged (from the RAF) in September 1918 due to malaria. I have found this on Ancestry in WO 364. This gives his numbers as 30368 Northants and 138174 RAF. However, I can find nothing by name or by number on TNA or Ancestry leading to an MIC or Medal Roll for BWM & VIC or for SWB. Any ideas, please? He was Walter Reginald Butcher. FMP has service records for both numbers. B. Grantham Lincs. 1897/98. Enlisted. 24/10/1916.(18yrs 10 months) NOK. William Alfred Butcher. Brigstock Hants. Occupation. Painter. Invaliding disability Malaria. Feb 1918. Enlisted. RAF. 1/4/1918. - 23 training squadron. Transferred to Air Force reserve. 2/9/1919. Edited 3 February , 2018 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart T Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 Thanks - I was going to look at FMP next time at the library but I just can't find any medal roll references. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 33 minutes ago, Stuart T said: Thanks - I was going to look at FMP next time at the library but I just can't find any medal roll references. P.M. sent. Medals issued by RAF, the details are on his service file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EDWARD1 Posted 3 February , 2018 Share Posted 3 February , 2018 According to The Great War Medal Collectors Companion, SWB No1 issued to Captain F B Johnson Notts & Derby Regt 20th Sept 1916 Eddie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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