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An unusual design for an ARP badge from Chaucer Press. The silver hallmarks are for Birmingham (anchor symbol) and 1940 (date letter 'Q'). The maker initials are A.F. and are thought to be for Arthur Fenwick. Richard Clay (1789-1877) founded what was to become the Chaucer Press. From 1818 he managed Burton & Briggs, a London-based printer, later acquiring the business. His sons, Charles and Richard, formed R, Clay, Sons & Taylor and in 1876, bought the Suffolk-based (Bungay) business of Childs & Son. They renamed the firm the Chaucer Press undertaking printing and book-binding.  Chaucer Press Silver ARP Badge 1940
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A nicely detailed ARP badge issued by The Birmingham Co-Operative Society Limited. There is no maker's mark on the reverse, but a number has been stamped. It features the standard half-moon button-hole fitting. The badge features the crown, arm and hammer emblem for the city of Birmingham at the top. On either side of the shield are two figures representing industry and the arts. The motto on the scroll at the base is "FORWARD". The Birmingham Industrial Co-operative Society was established in 1881, and in 1925, it acquired the failing Soho Co-operative Society, subsequently changing its name to the Birmingham Co-operative Society Limited. During the Second World War, over 3000 employees joined the forces. The society also had numerous vehicles requisitioned for use by civil defence. During the bombing of Birmingham, several buildings owned by the society were badly damaged.  Birmingham Co-Operative Society Limited ARP Badge  A Birmingham Co-Operative Society Ltd shop front A rare badge issued by the firm R.W. & Co. Ltd. for their internal ARP 'First Aid' squad. I imagine that if they issued a First Aid badge they also issued others for Wardnes, etc. The badge is made by Thomas Fattorini and the design of this badge was used for a fake ARP badge. That fake replaced the company name with "COVENTRY" and it stills crops up on eBay and auction sites from time to time. I have not been able to identify the company.  R.W. & Co. Ltd. First Aid ARP Badge The badge on the left is an original wartime R&M ARP Fire Watcher badge issued by the ball-bearing making firm of Ransome and Marles. The ampersand between the R and M is very detailed. The rear featured the half-moon lapel buttonhole fitting found on many wartime enamel badges. It's a scarce badge and appears in Jon Mills' wonderful book "Doing Their Bit - Home Front Lapel Badges, 1939-1945". The badge on the right is a fake repro that used the design but added 'Rolls Royce' (a huge clanger as the actual company is called 'Rolls-Royce', always with a hyphen) and a weird 'R & R' in the scroll. So, along with the incorrect company name, with have modern fonts and a crappy pin and clasp rear. Copies of the badge were previously listed on eBay by a well-known shyster as an original badge and sold. These days they are hawked on the tat bazaar as "ideal for ww2 re-enactment reissue badges ,film or TV prop" (sic). It's a complete piece of trash.
Several towns operated Civil Defence Cadet Corps, with Liverpool, Nottingham, and Birmingham being the best-known examples. The cadets were trained in ARP measures and those over 16 could volunteer with the local Civil Defence Services. Apart from Liverpool, limited information is available about these cadet corps. If you have any more details or photos, please send them via the Contact page. The Dudley cadets below, sporting the rather fetching headwear, are not wearing standard CD uniforms. They appear to be general use overalls and coats to which the ARP breast badge has been attached. The photo has been censored.  Dudley Civil Defence Cadets in 1941 © Black Country History  Civil Defence "C.D. Cadet Corps" shoulder title  Liverpool Civil Defence Cadet (LCDC)  Civil Defence Cadet Corps Nottingham badge |
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