Me again, sorry! Someone said a while ago, that my Grandad would've worn a gold stripe on his arm, to signify that he'd been wounded. Would he be given one of these per wounding, so to speak?
Not sure about wound stripes. My Father was wounded seriously twice during WW2. He did not wear a wound stripe but was given a Silver lapel badge to wear on his civilian clothes . This is known as a Kings Badge. I under stand it was introduced during WW1 ,.Wounded Soldiers on sick leave wearing civilian clothes were being verbally abused and handed white feathers, The Badge was to show their status..
As a museum curator, I saw more wound badges loose in button boxes than on uniforms. It would largely depend on the availability/access to an appropriate uniform and whether one felt it was 'showing off' - British practice was not to be too exuberant in wearing all ones badge entitlement on daily battledress. Also laundry 'in the field' meant that one couldn't guarantee on hanging on to a specific uniform for too long, so soldiers didn't invest too much time on sewing on all the badges. COs seem to have gone along with this, photographic evidence bears this out. There was supposed to be a second uniform for 'best'/'walking out', this ought to have full badge entitlement however even here it is hit and miss. My Dad said he never got to attached to his 'walking out ' uniform as it was usually stolen, swapped or eaten by termites by the time he got an opportunity to use it resulting in him having to scrounge a new one with minutes to get the bare necessities attached (the badges he would be on a charge for not wearing) before transport arrived.
War Service Chevrons and Wound Stripes were reintroduced in February 1944 (AO19). To qualify for a Wound Stripe the individuals name had to appear on the official Casualty List. Neither "friendly fire" or "self inflicted injuries" qualified.
