QUIZ: Who would wear that?

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Answers

1. South African Soldiers’ Association badge: This bronze and enamel lapel badge would have been worn by a veteran of the South African War 1899–1902. Approximately 16,000 Australians served in South Africa in what is commonly referred to as the Boer War. The red, blue, and yellow stripes represent the ribbon of the Queen’s South Africa Medal.

2. Mercantile Marine Torpedo badge: This gold thread sleeve badge in the shape of a torpedo was awarded to an officer of the merchant marine whose ship had been sunk or damaged by either a torpedo or mine and had made a voyage, of at least one month, on another British ship. Issued by King George V on 17 May 1918 the badge was worn on the left cuff of either sea or shore rig.

3. Physical Culture Display 1916 badge: This button badge was awarded by the Education Department of Victoria to metropolitan school students who raised war funds by publicly performing physical activities such as maypole dancing, marching, gymnastics, and folk dancing.

4. Housewives Association badge: This badge was worn by a member of the Housewives Association. The Housewives Association formed during the First World War to address the high cost of living brought about by the war. After the war the association advocated for the representation of family issues within government.

5. 2/23 Australian Infantry Battalion colour patch: This diamond shaped felt shoulder patch was worn by a member of the 2/23 Battalion AIF. The diamond shaped design, inherited from the First World War, was replaced with a ‘T’ shaped patch in 1942 following the siege of Tobruk.

6. Second World War female relative badge: This badge was issued to female relatives of service personnel during the Second World War. The star represents the numbers of relatives on active service.

7. Helicopter Flight Vietnam Air Gunners’ brevet: This badge was retrospectively awarded to Australian personnel who served as ‘door gunners’ on American ‘Huey’ Iroquois helicopters in Vietnam between 1967-71. The design of the badge is based on a Royal Australian Navy pilot’s aviator ‘wings’.

8. Caterpillar club lapel badge: This lapel badge is worn by members of the caterpillar club, an informal association of men and women who have parachuted to safety after their aircraft became disabled. The club was founded by the Irvin Airchute Company in 1922. The name of the club refers to the production of parachute thread by silkworms.

9. Afghan National Army patch: This embroidered patch was worn by members of the Afghan National Army from 2002 until 2021.