WW2 Air Raid Warden, ARP & Civil Defence Rank Badges
Rank insignia for the various ARP services and from the autumn of 1941, the later Civil Defence General Services, developed in two distinct phases during the second world war. The early war Wardens' Service saw red braid bar and diamond insignia and red chevrons for Decontamination, Rescue and Stretcher Parties, worn on bluette overalls. The red braid insignia was replaced in the autumn of 1941 with 'old gold' badges of rank for both senior and junior supervisory roles. The new insignia was introduced along with the new serge battledress for men and tunics for women.
Chart of the main ARP & Civil Defence rank insignia used in the second world war
WW2 ARP & Civil Defence Warden Rank Insignia.
Note: the above helmet markings were not always followed to the letter. Period film and photographs show some wardens wearing various helmet markings, for example, a Divisional Warden in London with two black stripes or a white helmet with a single stripe plus 'SDW' (for Sub-Divisional Warden). Although the use of diamonds on helmets was phased out there is documentary film evidence of them still be used in 1942 and possibly later.
London areas had District Wardens whilst areas outside of the capital had Divisional Wardens.
There is photographic evidence of a single narrow yellow bar being worn. This rank was issued at the discretion of a Regional Commissioner.
London areas had District Wardens whilst areas outside of the capital had Divisional Wardens.
There is photographic evidence of a single narrow yellow bar being worn. This rank was issued at the discretion of a Regional Commissioner.
ARP Warden red bar & diamond rank badges/insignia - up to mid/late-1941
In a communique sent on 18 June, 1940 to the London Civil Defence Region specific regulations were sent regarding identifying insignia for Wardens. These were red braid bars 3" long by ½" inch wide and worn a ¼" apart with a single diamond (with sides of ½") placed a ¼" above the top bar. Insignia was worn on both sleeves with the lowest bar 4" from the cuff. Screen-printed (see below) as well as red braid versions are known to exist.
Chief Warden - sleeve rank badges - three red braid bars with single red diamond
Divisional/District Warden - sleeve rank badges - two red braid bars with single red diamond
Post Warden & Head Warden - sleeve rank badges - one red braid bars with single red diamond
Divisional/District Warden - sleeve rank badges - two red braid bars with single red diamond
Post Warden & Head Warden - sleeve rank badges - one red braid bars with single red diamond
Screen-printed Head or Post Warden sleeve insignia
Original examples of the red bars & diamonds and sleeve chevrons are probably the hardest to find examples of the insignia issued to ARP personnel.
A Finchley Head Warden with single red bar and diamond sleeve insignia
Red braid chevrons for Party Leaders & Officers-In-Charge
The same document from June 1940 also listed two red braid chevrons for leaders of parties and three red braid chevrons for officers-in-charge of rescue, decontamination and stretcher parties. The chevrons were to be red braid 1/2" thick with each arm of the chevron 2" long. Chevrons were to be placed midway between shoulder and elbow on the bluette overalls with the chevron pointing down.
Rescue Party Officer-in-Charge with three red sleeve chevrons
Location of insignia on bluette overalls (up to late 1941)
WW2 ARP Rank Insignia Applied To Bluette Overalls
"Old Gold" yellow Civil Defence Service rank insignia ‒ 1941-45
Two distinct variations of insignia for senior and junior ranks were created with the formation of the Civil Defence Service in 1941 (the term civil defence had been used pre-war but the creation of a unified service brought all the various services under one roof). For senior ranks broad and narrow "old gold" yellow bars worn on the upper sleeve were introduced.
District Warden from Westminster with three yellow bars
For junior ranks, chevrons in "old gold" yellow were worn in the similar place to other ranking systems in the army - midway between shoulder and elbow.
Both senior and junior ranks could become an Incident Officer. The incident officer wore a special IO badge on the lower left sleeve. They also wore a special blue covering on their helmet to make them stand out at air raid incidents. Incident Officers could be from any rank. For information on lanyards worn on the shoulder see this page.
There is photographic evidence of wardens wearing battledress with red braid bars and diamonds. This must have happened only for a short period in mid- to late-1941. It is assumed that although the battledress was available the badges of rank had yet to reach local authority stores.
Both senior and junior ranks could become an Incident Officer. The incident officer wore a special IO badge on the lower left sleeve. They also wore a special blue covering on their helmet to make them stand out at air raid incidents. Incident Officers could be from any rank. For information on lanyards worn on the shoulder see this page.
There is photographic evidence of wardens wearing battledress with red braid bars and diamonds. This must have happened only for a short period in mid- to late-1941. It is assumed that although the battledress was available the badges of rank had yet to reach local authority stores.
Location of Civil Defence insignia on battledress (1941-1945)
Location of Civil Defence insignia on battledress (1941-1945)
WW2 ARP & Civil Defence Services senior rank badge sleeve insignia
Rank insignia was "old gold" yellow on dark blue measuring 2½ inches wide by ¼ inch for the narrow bars and ¾ inch for the broad bars. Senior rank badges were worn with the top bar 1 inch below the shoulder title and were either printed or embroidered.
Controller - two narrow bars over single broad bar. Helmet - white with two black bars and word Controller.
Chief Warden - narrow bar over broad bar. Helmet - white with black W and two black stripes.
Medical Officer of Health - same insignia as Chief Warden but shoulder title was 'MOH' and helmet with MO (and MOH) and two black bars.
Deputy Chief Warden - a single broad bar. Helmet - white with black W and a double black stripe.
District / Divisional Warden - three narrow. Helmet - white with black W and one stripe (plus D.W. also used) .
Officer - two narrow. Helmet - white with black W.
Controller - two narrow bars over single broad bar. Helmet - white with two black bars and word Controller.
Chief Warden - narrow bar over broad bar. Helmet - white with black W and two black stripes.
Medical Officer of Health - same insignia as Chief Warden but shoulder title was 'MOH' and helmet with MO (and MOH) and two black bars.
Deputy Chief Warden - a single broad bar. Helmet - white with black W and a double black stripe.
District / Divisional Warden - three narrow. Helmet - white with black W and one stripe (plus D.W. also used) .
Officer - two narrow. Helmet - white with black W.
ARP Controller sleeve rank insignia
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ARP Chief Warden sleeve rank insignia
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ARP Deputy Chief Warden sleeve rank insignia
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ARP District / Divisional Warden sleeve rank insignia
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ARP Officer sleeve rank insignia
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WW2 ARP & Civil Defence Services junior rank badge insignia
Junior rank insignia within the CD services were yellow stripes of one, two and three chevrons. The chevrons were either printed or embroidered.
Head Warden or Post Warden in London - three chevrons (sometimes with a six-pointed star above the chevrons). Helmet - white with black W (some with single black stripe), though P.W. was used also.
Senior Warden - one (rarely seen but used in some areas; some local authorities issued a single chevron to members who had performed two years' service) or two chevrons. Helmet - black with white W.
Head Warden or Post Warden in London - three chevrons (sometimes with a six-pointed star above the chevrons). Helmet - white with black W (some with single black stripe), though P.W. was used also.
Senior Warden - one (rarely seen but used in some areas; some local authorities issued a single chevron to members who had performed two years' service) or two chevrons. Helmet - black with white W.
Chevron rank badges were worn as follows:
1 chevron - lower point 9 inches below shoulder seam (note not shoulder title)
2 chevrons - lower point 9½ inches below shoulder seam
3 chevrons (with or without star) - lower point 10½ inches below shoulder seam
1 chevron - lower point 9 inches below shoulder seam (note not shoulder title)
2 chevrons - lower point 9½ inches below shoulder seam
3 chevrons (with or without star) - lower point 10½ inches below shoulder seam
Use of insignia across other Civil Defence Services from August 1942
The 'old gold' insignia was adopted across all Civil Defence Services from August 1942. The following table illustrates a general overview of how each rank was used. There were many local variations to this.
Civil Defence Service Ranks From August 1942
To submit original rank insignia please send me an email via the contact page.
Examples of Civil Defence Ranks within the Midland Region Late War
The rank structure could become quite complicated towards the end of the war (with difference between County and Borough). This is an example of the ranks used withing the Civil Defence Services in the Midland Region. Though decontamination is included there was no inclusion of Gas Identification Officers etc in this chart.
Rank Marking |
Rank authorised for Counties and their Constituent Authorities |
Rank authorised for County Boroughs and Scheme-Making Boroughs |
1 broad under 2 narrow bars |
County Controller |
Controller |
1 broad under 1 narrow bar |
Deputy County Controller County Sub-Controller County Chief Warden County M.O.H. County Head of Rescue Service County Head of Decontamination Service County Head of Messenger Service Count A.R.P. Officer |
Deputy Controller Sub-Controller Chief Warden M.O.H. Head of Rescue Service Head of Decontamination Service A.R.P. Officer |
1 broad bar |
Deputy Chief Warden Deputy County M.O.H. Deputy Heads of County Services A.R.P. Officer of local authority Deputy Sub-Controller M.O.H. of Constituent Authority Divisional Warden |
Deputy Chief Warden Deputy M.O.H. Deputy Heads of Services Assistant A.R.P. Officer Deputy Sub-Controller |
3 narrow bars |
Deputy Divisional Warden Ambulance Officer Staff Officer to Heads of Services of Scheme-Making Authorities Assistant A.R.P. Officer Fire Guard Staff Officer to local authority |
Divisional Warden Staff Officer of Heads of Services Ambulance Officer Fire Guard Staff Officer Head of Messenger Service |
2 narrow bars |
Officer in Charge 200 or more Messengers Assistant Staff Officer to Heads of Services of Scheme-Making Authority Fire Guard Assistant Staff Officer to local authority Divisional Wardens Staff Officer Assistant Ambulance Officer |
Deputy Divisional Warden Officer in Charge of 200 or more Messengers Assistant Staff Officer to Heads of services Assistant Fire Guard Staff Officer Divisional Wardens Staff Officer Assistant Ambulance Officer |
1 narrow bar |
Depot Superintendent Class 1 Head Warden Head Fire Guard |
Deputy Superintendent Class 1 Head Warden Head Fire Guard |
3 chevron stripes surmounted by a star |
Deputy Depot Superintendent Class 1 Depot Superintendent Class 2 Deputy Head Warden Auxiliary Ambulance Station Officer Lay Superintendent First Aid Posts Officer in Charge of 100 to 199 Messengers |
Deputy Depot Superintendent Class 1 Depot Superintendent Class 2 Deputy Head Warden Auxiliary Ambulance Staff Officer Lay Superintendent Firs Aid Post Officer in Charge of 100 to 199 Messengers |
3 chevron stripes |
Post Warden Deputy Depot Superintendent Class 2 Auxiliary Ambulance Depot Staff Officer Officer in Charge of Ambulance as combines Depots Section Leader in charge of ambulance and sitting case cars Party Supervisor of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad Officer in Charge 50 to 99 Messengers |
Post Warden Deputy Depot Superintendent Class 2 Auxiliary Ambulance Depot Staff Officer Officer in Charge of Ambulance as combines Depots Section Leader in charge of ambulance and sitting case cars Party Supervisor of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad Officer in Charge 50 to 99 Messengers |
2 chevron stripes |
Officer in Charge of Ambulances at combined Depots (shift duty) Senior Warden Senior Fire Guard Leader of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad Officer in Charge of 15 to 49 Messengers |
Officer in Charge of Ambulances at combined Depots (shift duty) Senior Warden Senior Fire Guard Leader of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad Officer in Charge of 15 to 49 Messengers |
1 chevron stripe |
Deputy Leader of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad |
Deputy Leader of First Aid Party / Rescue Party or Decontamination Squad |
Overview of the Wardens' Service
Sector – several wardens led by a Senior Warden. Each sector (covering a few streets) is numbered and/or lettered (covering approx. 500 people).
Post Area – several sectors form a Post Area which is numbered and/or lettered. Incidents within a sector are reported to the Wardens’ Report Post.
Wardens’ Report Post – headed by a Post Warden (assisted by a deputy). The report post usually centrally located to all sectors so Wardens/Messengers can easily reach it.
Head Warden (and deputy) – would oversee a group of Post Areas (approx. six to ten thousand people).
Divisional / District Warden (and deputy) – would oversee a whole district.
Chief Warden (and deputy) – would oversee several districts within a Local Authority.
Incident Officer – major air raid incidents would be managed by an Incident Officer at the scene who would take over reporting events to the Report Centre.
Report Centre – incidents are reported to the Report Centre from the Wardens’ Report Post / Incident Officer. Large areas may have more than one Report Centre. Report Centres have an Officer-in-Charge, Panel Operator, Plotting Operator and Telephonists.
CD Services – the Report Centre dispatches the various Civil Defence Services (police, fire, first aid, gas decontamination, rescue etc) from depots/stations to deal with the incident. The Plotting Operator numbers each incident on a map of the area and updates the map to indicate the type of incident (fire, gas, mains burst etc). The Panel Operator manages the services from depots to incidents.
Control Centre – the Report Centre updates the Control Centre which has a duplicate set of maps showing incidents across a Local Authority. The Controller (usually head of ARP for the Local Authority) follows each incident and can take charge in the event of a major incident unfolding. If this were to occur, Post Wardens/Incident Officers would be instructed to send reports direct to the Control Centre bypassing the Report Centre.
Group Control – a number of Local Authorities send information from Control Centres to the Group Control. In the event of one area being overwhelmed by an air raid the Local Authority can appeal for assistance utilising Group Reserves (later CD Reserve and Mobile Columns).
Civil Defence Region – all groups report into one of 12 Civil Defence Regional HQs. If a widespread heavy raid takes place, one Region can appeal to others for assistance.
Ministry of Home Security War Room – all Regional HQs reported to the Ministry of Home Security (based in London). The ministry would have an overview of the entire nation’s civil defence situation and could send assistance from one CD region to another.
Post Area – several sectors form a Post Area which is numbered and/or lettered. Incidents within a sector are reported to the Wardens’ Report Post.
Wardens’ Report Post – headed by a Post Warden (assisted by a deputy). The report post usually centrally located to all sectors so Wardens/Messengers can easily reach it.
Head Warden (and deputy) – would oversee a group of Post Areas (approx. six to ten thousand people).
Divisional / District Warden (and deputy) – would oversee a whole district.
Chief Warden (and deputy) – would oversee several districts within a Local Authority.
Incident Officer – major air raid incidents would be managed by an Incident Officer at the scene who would take over reporting events to the Report Centre.
Report Centre – incidents are reported to the Report Centre from the Wardens’ Report Post / Incident Officer. Large areas may have more than one Report Centre. Report Centres have an Officer-in-Charge, Panel Operator, Plotting Operator and Telephonists.
CD Services – the Report Centre dispatches the various Civil Defence Services (police, fire, first aid, gas decontamination, rescue etc) from depots/stations to deal with the incident. The Plotting Operator numbers each incident on a map of the area and updates the map to indicate the type of incident (fire, gas, mains burst etc). The Panel Operator manages the services from depots to incidents.
Control Centre – the Report Centre updates the Control Centre which has a duplicate set of maps showing incidents across a Local Authority. The Controller (usually head of ARP for the Local Authority) follows each incident and can take charge in the event of a major incident unfolding. If this were to occur, Post Wardens/Incident Officers would be instructed to send reports direct to the Control Centre bypassing the Report Centre.
Group Control – a number of Local Authorities send information from Control Centres to the Group Control. In the event of one area being overwhelmed by an air raid the Local Authority can appeal for assistance utilising Group Reserves (later CD Reserve and Mobile Columns).
Civil Defence Region – all groups report into one of 12 Civil Defence Regional HQs. If a widespread heavy raid takes place, one Region can appeal to others for assistance.
Ministry of Home Security War Room – all Regional HQs reported to the Ministry of Home Security (based in London). The ministry would have an overview of the entire nation’s civil defence situation and could send assistance from one CD region to another.
Post-war insignia and badges of the Civil Defence Corps
The Civil Defence Corps was created in 1949 and although they adopted similar ranks as the wartime Civil Defence Service, there are subtle differences in the shape, size and material used for both senior and junior ranks. Badges are on thinner material, shoulder titles have squared ends and stars were five-pointed. The colour of embroidery thread also changed from the "old gold" to a more distinct brighter yellow.
See this page that details Civil Defence Corps badges and insignia.
See this page that details Civil Defence Corps badges and insignia.
