Information sought on badge

[Gary Samson]

Discovered in one of my Grandad's Old Holborn tobacco tins, along with his RGA shoulder titles and a shoeing smith proficiency badge, was a lapel badge for the Kent National Reserve. My copy of Norman Holding's More Sources of World War I Army Ancestry (3rd Ed) tells me that the National Reserve came into being in 1909 and that it was made up of old retired soldiers. Is the badge I have from the Great War period and related to this National Reserve? If so, I guess it's very unlikely to have belonged to my Grandfather who was just 16 when the war broke out in 1914 and perhaps instead belonged to a relative. However, could this be a badge from the inter-war years in which case it could be my Grandfather's? Any suggestions and advice would be much appreciated.

Gary

[tintin1689]

The National Reserve comprised ex-servicemen who had no other reserve committment and who voluntarily committed themselves to service in an emergency.

During the Great War they initially mustered as supernumerary companies under local territorial infantry battalions,later in the war these were later grouped as battalions and became known as the Royal Defence Corps. About the time of the Munich crisis they were renamed the National Defence Companies, in WW2 they were again grouped in battalions and passed back to the Regiments initially using available battalion numbers, but later all re-numbered as 30th Battalions of the parent Regiments (leaving whacking numerical gaps in most cases) At the end of the war they disbanded, but were echoed in the very, very similar Home Service Force of the late eighties.

They should not be confused with the Volunteers or the Home Guard (part time forces) as these were full-time home defence soldiers.

In peacetime they had no uniform apart from these lapel badges which were issued by each County Territorial association. The National Reserve organised large parades as shows of strength so people could see how large the reserve was.

There is a picture of a Royal Defence Corps sentry in a suit and bowler hat with SMLE, bayonet and '08 webbing.

[Gary Samson]

Many thanks for this, tintin1689. So, from my understanding of what you say it's unlikely that this badge belonged to my grandfather, who was a teenager in August 1914, and that it's more likely to have been his father's or perhaps an uncle's. Would that be a reasonable conclusion?

Gary

[tintin1689]

I would say so, or a friends or perhaps he just acquired it - good luck with your research