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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Badge identification please.


CLeach

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I have a copy of a photograph of my Great Grandmother, her younger sister and a friend who are all wearing the same triangular badge. On the back of the original picture it names my two relatives and says 1914/18 war.

As my Great Grandmother (the lady on the right) was born in 1887 and her sister (the lady on the left) in 1893 and guesing their ages in the photograph, I am hopeing that the 1914/18 Great War connection is correct.

I am hopeing that someone can explain the significance of this badge to me.

Many thanks for any help received.

Colin.

post-16150-1173741000.jpg

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Colin, the badge is the "on War Service" badge worn by women engaged on war work. (Mostly working on munitions, I believe.)

CLICK HERE to see some useful information about the badge. (Well, it's a brooch really). Scroll down about three-quarters of the way down the page.

Tom

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Hi Colin

Sounds very much like the 'War Workers' badge, men had an oval shaped badge with 'on war work' written around the oval and the year date within, 1914 1915 1916 and so on, the ladies issue was a triangle shape but they were only issued with one date 1916. Usually issued to munitions workers

Dave.

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Hello Tom and Dave,

Thank you both for your reply to my post.

I can now see that the badge is actually an 'on war service' brooch.

When I next see my nan I shall ask her if she knows anything about her mother and aunt being involved in munitions work during the Great war.

Many thanks,

Colin.

:)

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  • 4 weeks later...

In Canada the Imperial Munitions Board, Canada (which by the way was a British directed and controlled organization that reported to the Ministry of Munitions in London, England) issued in January 1917 the following womens munitions badge. According to the National Archives in Ottawa, Canada the IMB officials were not enthusiastic about the proliferation of private company badges nor were they overly concerned with issuing their own badges (the Department of Militia and Defence through the Militia Council were also at least in early 1916 opposed to badge issuance as well by the Canadian government).

post-7558-1176078147.jpg

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post-7558-1176078488.jpgThis badge would have been worn by IMB Canadian workers (male) from latter 1916 onwards.
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