Cef buttons

[joe n]

I know someone here is very knowledgeable about these items. What exactly are they and is there any way to track a number down to an individual veteran? Thanks very much!
MODS>>>if you need to move this I understand, was just thinking the milsurp crowd could best answer the question

 

[buffdog]

buttons

Although I have not seen these Service Buttons before, I have seen similar numbered Civil Service and other Government Buttons.

It is possible the Department of Defence or the Canadian War Museum might have a reference list of the numbers.

.

 

[canuck98k]

They are war service badges, class A I believe. These are for active service at the front, but there was a class B that said something like "in service of the king" for soldiers who served, but in rear areas or in England. There was also a class C for service in Canada.

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/cmdp/mainmenu/group08

 

[myenfield]

These were intended to be worn by men who had served but were sent back home for a valid reason (wound, etc). It was pretty common for those who "declined" to serve to be targeted for abuse so this was supposed to help differentiate between the two groups.

 

[Brock]

Class A War Service Badge. As the badge states it is for service at the front and every CEF member who did serve at the front would receive one as long as they were not discharged for misconduct.

Back in the day women would give white feathers to men who didn't serve in the military and a variety of war service badges were created for those who did serve or were otherwise doing work for the the war effort. As the back of the badge states there is a penalty for misuse to deter someone from posing as a veteran.

A soldier's service file will often show the number of his war service badge but I don't think there is any roll where you can look up the badge number to find the name of the veteran that earned it.

There are war service badges for the world wars and Korea. I don't know if the government has created one for Afghanistan veterans yet.

 

[joe n]

Thank you so much for this help Gentlemen

 

[sail32]

During WWII the people who were rejected for service, for medical reasons, were given letters and a button to wear.

 

[plinker 777]

Where's Smellie when you need him!.... Is the enamel missing out of the badge with the black St.Andrews and St.Georges crosses? I've never seen the Union Jack blacked out like that before!....Smellie I conjure you forth to explain these curio's