A Rising Sun Brass Oxidized Hat Badge (ACMF) WW 1 British Made with Slider 3rd Pattern.
Condition: Good Original Hat Badge.
Complete with 2 Lugs.
A highly desirable badge.
Maker: Unknown British Made.
Dimensions: Height - 43mm, Width - 63mm,
All dimensions are approximate and may vary between badges.
Photos may vary between badges, but the quality is the same.
History
The Rising Sun badge, also known as the General Service Badge or the Australian Army Badge, is the official insignia of the Australian Army and is worn on the brim of a slouch hat or the front of a peaked cap (select appointments only). The badge is readily identified with the spirit of ANZAC, the legend of the Australian soldier (or digger), and the esprit de corps of the Army itself, due to its association with the landings at Gallipoli in 1915. Today, new recruits receive the iconic badge with their initial issue of equipment, which happens within their first three days of enlistment.
Origins
The
origins of the rising sun badge are disputed however. It has been suggested
that the association of the badge with the rising sun came from the trademark
of a popular brand of jam at the time of its inception, known as 'Rising Sun
jam', while other scholars have suggested that it represented the rising sun
from the start. To be sure rising sun designs had appeared on early Australian
colonial coins and military insignia decades before the federation of the
Australian colonies in 1901, and may have represented the image of Australia as
'a young nation' and a 'new Britannia'.
Indeed
from as early as the 1820s, the symbol of a 'rising sun' was used by various
progressive organisations, loosely characterised under the banner "Advance
Australia". The rising sun crest used in the New South Wales colonial and
State crests was taken from the crest used on the first Advance Australia Arms
circa 1821, and consistently since then.The oldest known example is the
'Advance Australia' coat of arms. The 'Advance Australia Arms' (named because
of the motto inscription) became widely used in New South Wales and the
neighbouring colonies by private corporations and individuals. Although they
never had any official status, they formed the basis for several official coats
of arms, including the New South Wales coat of arms. The representation below
was reputedly painted for Thomas Silk, the son of the captain of the Prince of
Orange, a convict ship that visited Sydney in 1821. The symbol struck a chord with
the pre-federation population and many examples still exist on colonial
architecture.
Military use
Australian Army slouch hat, detailing the wearing of the Rising Sun badge on the upturned brim.
In
1902 a badge was urgently sought for the Australian contingents raised after
Federation for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. The most
widely-accepted version of the origin of the badge is that which attributes the
selection of its design to a British officer, Major General Sir Edward Hutton,
the newly appointed General Officer Commanding, Australian Military Forces. The
design was subsequently first worn by the Australian Commonwealth Horse. Hutton
had earlier received a "Trophy of Arms" as a gift from Major Joseph
Gordon, a long standing military acquaintance, comprising mounted cut and
thrust swords and triangular Martini Henri bayonets arranged in a semicircle
around a brass crown. To Hutton the shield was symbolic of the co-ordination of
the Naval and Military Forces of the Commonwealth. Three different designs were
created, and they formed the basis of a new design created in 1903, which was
subsequently adopted as the General Service Badge in 1911. The original badge
bore the words 'Australian Commonwealth Military Forces' on the scroll at the
bottom of the badge. However, as the original design was created in haste it
was subsequently redesigned, and was later worn by soldiers of the First
Australian Imperial Force in World War I and the Second Australian Imperial
Force (2nd AIF) in World War II, being used on both the slouch hat and the
tunic, while it was also used in some Regimental badges.
Since
its inception the basic form of the 1904 version has remained unchanged
although modifications have been made to the wording on the scroll and to the
style of crown. Notably, although no badge was ever struck with the wording
'Australian Imperial Force', this wording has been used as a headstone design.
In 1945, the Department of the Army recommended that two separate badges for
Army war graves of World War II be used to distinguish between members of the
2nd AIF and the Citizen Military Force (CMF). Subsequently this variation
appeared only on the headstone badges of deceased 2nd AIF members. Design changes
In
1949, when Corps and Regimental badges were reintroduced, the badge was changed
again. The wording on the scroll was changed to read 'Australian Military
Forces', deleting the word 'Commonwealth'. Nevertheless the earlier badge
remained in common use with recruit training units until at least the late
1960s.
Following
the ascent of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to the throne, the Crown on the
badge was consequently changed from a Kings (Tudor) Crown to a Queen's (St.
Edward's) Crown on the 1956 version.
In 1969 the badge was again modified to
incorporate the Federation Star and Torse Wreath from the original 1902 version
of the badge, while in 1972 the scroll wording was shortened again to
'Australia'. However, due to the number of older badges still held in stock
this badge was not produced for issue until the late 1980s.
In 1991 a new design was produced which
returned the design to one similar to that of the original World War I badge,
to coincide with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the fighting at
Gallipoli. The inscription on the scroll was again changed and now reads: 'The
Australian Army'.
In
1995 the badge was altered for the last time when the metal was changed from
1160 aluminium, returning it to brass for the first time since World War II,
but with a copper and gold plate, while also raising the crown and arms and
re-introducing piercings as it had in 1914, and thus returning to its
traditional layout. The version used today is the seventh iteration of the
design used as the General Service Badge.
Be sure to add me to your favourite's list!Check out my other items!
Feedback: please contact us if you have any concerns with your item once it arrives, or questions before leaving feedback. You are our number one priority, we will ease or rectify any problems that may occur immediately to make your eBay purchase a pleasurable experience.
Service: we aim to provide superior service & 100% customer satisfaction.
Combined Shipping: we will combine shipping at the lowest possible combined rate, a new updated invoice will be sent to you.
Payment Overseas: we only accept payment outside Australia through PayPal, Direct Bank Deposit.
Payment Australia: we accept payment by Direct Bank Deposit, or Pay on Pick Up.
Refund Policy: given only if item is not as described in the listing, or faulty. Full cost of purchase excluding your return postage will be refunded. However, if you simply change your mind, we will not refund.
Westcoast Military Antiques: is a dealer in fine original world militaria, with a growing reputation in rare Military Medals, World Orders, Badges and other collectable militaria. We pride ourselves on honesty, accurate descriptions and professional customer service.