Hi folks - anyone help with the following? The image shows 2 of my grandfather's badges. I know what each are but wanted to know if anyone can help with the numbers on the reverse of the TA badge "947660" What are these? He was already in the TA prior to the outbreak of WW2 and he enlisted in the 8th Irish Battalion of the Liverpool Kings in August 1939 and served for 5 years with them eventually being discharged from the Green Howards. Just curious what the numbers meant/are? Cheers
These badges were issued, and the number on the back is the serial number of the badge. (Similar badges existed for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and the Auxiliary Air Force). Now, the workings of the British military mind clearly imply that if it has a serial number, then it will have to be signed for. If it is signed for, it will be tallied somewhere - in a ledger or such. I have seen a receipt for an RAFVR lapel badge, but in 15 years of looking have never found a central source logging all these badges (TA and RAF). It must exist (or have existed) but seems lost, or is unfindable. What it is not is any one individual's service number. All you can say is if you have a badge numbered 1234, and you know for certain that 5678 Pte Smith was issued it, then that was his badge
Cheers Staffsyeoman - nothing further to check down that route then. Seems a bit pointless going to all the bother of individual serial numbers though. I've got the full service record and info for my grandfather - I was just curious whether the numbers meant something.
Not completely pointless; they are made of silver (albeit not marked as such) and therefore have a value and by association a cost to replace them, so you would be held accountable for it, as with any other piece of issued kit. I suspect that someone may have cracked the RAFVR badge system as on e-b*y for a badge which is worth a tenner some can go to nearly £30. A nonsense for what it is, but if you've discovered it was awarded to a Battle of Britain pilot, or a DSO DFC bomber pilot or.. etc. etc. But they are not re-emerging for sale as 'attributed' All we can say that - if you do not have the receipt for issue - is that you know for certain as provenance that your grandfather got that one. I wear my grandfather's (I'm entitled, I joined the TA in 1979, and it remembers him) as he stayed in the TA after WW1 before he was discharged on age grounds in 1942.
Thanks again. I need to check but I'm sure the badge is still in it's small cardboard box and I'm pretty sure there's a folded piece of paper in it - maybe a receipt? Or then again I might be getting confused with the King's Badge for Disabled Personnel because I know there's a signed receipt with that.
