On War Service badges

[Matt Dixon]

Am I correct (and doubtless I'm not) that production of On war Service badges ceased after the 1916 issue? If this is the case then it will save me trying to find 1917 and 1918 ones!

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Matt >

http://www.btinternet.com/~prosearch/OWS.html

regards - Tom

[Roy Evans]

Tom,

Thanks for the link to an excellent site but it does raise a query. The site states that the 1914 badges were un-numbered but I have one bearing the number 0098779 on the part which fits into the button hole. Anyone any ideas?

Roy

[Tom Tulloch-Marshall]

Tom,

Thanks for the link to an excellent site but it does raise a query. The site states that the 1914 badges were un-numbered but I have one bearing the number 0098779 on the part which fits into the button hole. Anyone any ideas?

Roy

Roy > in the section on the Admiralty (1914) Badge > quote >

".............. This was not a point of huge importance at the end of 1914 when the Admiralty had first begun to make bulk issues of badges to the shipyards, but by early 1916 it had become an issue of some importance because the wearing of the official OWS badges (post introduction of compulsory military service) had become crucial to the immediate recognition of bona fide “exempted” men. The relative laxity of the Admiralty scheme (to date) meant that there was now added potential for some deliberate misrepresentation on the part of militarily eligible men who may have procured an Admiralty badge by some devious means. The Admiralty now swung into line with the War Office and began to number new badge issues, the relevant employers becoming responsible for adding the badge numbers into the schedules of the men to whom badges had been issued. At the same time a system was introduced whereby existing unnumbered badges should be recalled, and numbered badges substituted. The only War Office references which I have seen with regard to the progress of this work say that it “was thought that about 500,000” unnumbered Admiralty badges had been issued, of which approximately 150,000 had been replaced with numbered badges by July 1916. I have seen no explanation as to whether or not this situation was ever properly resolved. "

........................................... late night, hard week, other things on the mind, and dont quite take it all in - I do it too !

regards - Tom

[Roy Evans]

  ........................................... late night, hard week, other things on the mind, and dont quite take it all in - I do it too !

No, I just didn't read it properly!

Thanks again

Roy