British Legion Badge 1921 - 1944 Large Royal British Legion in North Online Museum Staffordshire

History and Online Museum of the Royal British Legion in North Staffordshire

	The British Legion Badge 1921-1944 Large

British Legion Badge Large

The Badge of The Royal British Legion has evolved in the 85 years since it's founding of the British Legion 1921. The British Legion became The Royal British Legion in 1971, however it did not gain royal permission to add the Queen's crown to the badge until early 1972.

Enamel Badge Manufacturers

Various enamel badge manufacturers have had the honour of manufacturing the different types of badge over the years.

In this online exhibition of British Legion (BL) 1921-1943 membership numbered badges 1" x 1" (26mm x 26mm), examples can be found from the following enamel badge manufacturers:

J. R. Gaunt & Sons Ltd (London) - BL
B H & M C Birmingham BL
Birmingham Medal Company - BL
B'ham Medal & Badge Co BL

Four Classes of Member

In the 1937 Royal Charter Sixth Issue states that there are four classes of membership; Ordinary, Life, Honorary and Women. Badges had to be purchased from the Branch Secretary for One Shilling (refunded on retirement or expulsion from the Legion).

Badge Size

In the British Legion Head Quarters Branch Price List February 1937 badges where issued in two sizes Large and Miniature. Miniature badges either had a screw back or a pin back.

Officially Numbered

All badges badges where officially numbered although there are examples of Honorary and some miniature badges that were not.

The design of the British Legion badge remains the same there are some variations mainly in the design of the corporate lion logo and off course the metal. The variation in badge manufacturers one would assume is a question of economics and the best price.

Although as yet the author has found no provenance to prove to the contrary evidence seems to be indicating that initially there was one membership and the early badges were manufactured by J. R. Gaunt & Sons (London & Birmingham)*.

Round Celluloid Button

1944 Issue Celluloid Ordinary Members Badge

In 1944 because of a shortage of metal, new members were issued with a round celluloid button (see below in the exhibition) or with a round cardboard badge with the Legion logo overprinted and exchanged after the war . These badges we have subsequently learned (March 2008) where issue in two forms firstly with the more familiar pin and also in a buttonhole version.
See more at the British Legion Memorabilia Collectors Club site.

*Disclaimer:

Badge dating is based upon known membership numbers and corresponding dates. These dates are estimates and not actual dates of manufacture and should only be used as a guide.

The British Legion Lapel Badge 1921 - 1944

Take a visit to
British Legion Memorabilia Collectors Club
a dedicated web site for the serious collector of British Legion History.

The British Legion Badge 1921-1944 Large