On War Service Badge

[carninyj]

This badge was handed to me by a colleague yesterday. It was, I think, worn by those who were of an age to be in the armed forces and who, presumably by reason of their occupation, were at home. It probably protected them from being given a white feather, rather as the Derby Scheme protected those who had volunteered but not yet been called up.

Who would have been entitled to such a badge? Were the badges issued officially? Would they ever have been used here in Ireland where conscription didn't apply? (I do not think the Derby Scheme applied here either, even for those who wanted to serve.)

The lady in question didn't offer information about the origin of the badge. I know that several of her family served in WW1 and one, Rifleman James Fergie (783) of the 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles was killed in action in France on 1st July 1916.

Your insights would be welcomed.

Regards

Carninyj

[stiletto_33853]

Carninyj

Taken from Tom Tulloch-Marshalls site

"On War Service 1914", The Admiralty Badge

The first official move to recognise and badge essential war workers was made by the Admiralty late in 1914 when the "On War Service" badge first issued to "Workmen whose services are indispensable for the rapid completion of HM Ships and Armaments". An admiralty memo of 26th December 1914 titles this badge the "Admiralty War Service Badge" and lays down certain criteria for its issue, particularly that the men to whom it was given must be bona fide essential war workers and that wholesale or indiscriminate issues must not be made. It is stressed that no man who could possibly be "spared for the colours" should be badged, that any man withdrawn from essential war work or leaving the employment of the company is to return his badge to his employer, and that unauthorised transfer of a badge from one man to another was forbidden.

Just trying to find the link for you at the moment.

Andy

[Guest Pete Wood]

You might also like to look at http://members.lycos.co.uk/RoyalArsenal/home.htm

Click on miscellaneous and scroll half way down the page. Now click on badges.

Munition workers were issued with cloth badges - because metal badges might have caused a spark!!

[stiletto_33853]

Little more on the 1914 Admiralty badge for you

Shipyards and related employers were initially left almost entirely to their own devices with regard to whom they issued badges. They had to maintain a register of the men who were given badges and a card and certificate was also carried by these men as back up proof that they were essential to the war effort. Other than that the system introduced by the admiralty seem to have operated very much on the basis of the employers being entrusted with self regulation, and to a great extent that system appears to have continued right through the war.

There was a thread on these badges some time ago and i seem to remember that none of the registers kept by companies survived.

The bulk of the material relating to official issue OWS badges can be found amongst the Ministry of Munitions files at the NA, record sub class "MUN5"

[carninyj]

Thank you gentlemen. As always, a magnificent response.

Regards

Carninyj

[Essexboy68]

Folks

I have an identical badge to that pictured which came to light last year as we cleared up my late grandmother's effects. My question is this, are you saying that badge was only issued to those undertaking Admiralty work? I am sorry if my question sounds stupid, but I cannot decide, on what has been posted if that is the case or if they were issued to others. Although I have no way of proving it, I would assume this badge was issued to my grandmother's father, who I understand did not serve.

Thanks

Mark

[stiletto_33853]

Hi Mark,

I can only go on the literature i have on these badges and not having delved into the relevant files at Kew, that is all i have on them.

The sentence saying the on war service badge 1914 was first issued to "workmen whose services are indispensable for the rapid completion of HM ships and Armaments" seems to indicate that this was so.

There is another piece that states "Once the war office began to look seriously at the OWS situation during the early part of 1915there obviously had to be some cosideration of parity between the existing Admiralty system and any system to be introduced by the war office. As with all things of this nature the rules and regulations governing the badging situation were to evolve rather than be set in stone from the outset, but it appears that there was an early agreement that the Admiralty scheme would not be incorporated with the War Office scheme, and that the two systems would run in parrallel".

So, one has to presume, that this badge was issued only to Admiralty workers and associated industries to do with the manufacture of arms and such for the Admiralty.

If you got to Petes link it will show you the War Office badges of 1915 and 1916. I hope that this makes more sense and that i have read the correct meaning into those passages.

Andy