British war relief society button and 2 pennies

[jnicholes]

So, I caught Covid again and I’m stuck at home. I decided to do some metal detecting around my yard because I was bored.

While I was detecting, I picked up something. I started to dig, and I went 4 inches down. In fact, I saw my sprinkler pipe. I thought it was the sprinkler pipe I was picking up, but further evidence showed it was not. I looked around, and I found this.

Some people on the “what is it” part of the forum helped me identify it as a British war relief society button, approximately from the 1940s.

What that is doing in Idaho buried 4 inches underground, I don’t know.

I also found two pennies. One from 1971, and the other an unknown year.

I keep pulling very interesting things out of my yard!

Anyway, that was my metal detecting day. I’m exhausted and feeling sick, so I’m gonna call it for right now.

Let me know what you think of these finds.

Jared

 

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[oldmxrat]

Cool find, good you were able to get out and get some covid killing sunshine, congrats!

 

[Gare]

GREAT FIND

 

[Chilli]

So, I caught Covid again and I’m stuck at home. I decided to do some metal detecting around my yard because I was bored.

While I was detecting, I picked up something. I started to dig, and I went 4 inches down. In fact, I saw my sprinkler pipe. I thought it was the sprinkler pipe I was picking up, but further evidence showed it was not. I looked around, and I found this.

View attachment 2162483

Some people on the “what is it” part of the forum helped me identify it as a British war relief society button, approximately from the 1940s.

What that is doing in Idaho buried 4 inches underground, I don’t know.

I also found two pennies. One from 1971, and the other an unknown year.

View attachment 2162480

I keep pulling very interesting things out of my yard!

Anyway, that was my metal detecting day. I’m exhausted and feeling sick, so I’m gonna call it for right now.

Let me know what you think of these finds.

Jared

Great but why couldn't you go out from covid? There's no lockdowns I know of and people are vaxed. I can go anywhere regardless.
But yeah good get there.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Very nice !

 

[Silvermonkey]

Great looking button Jared! Sorry to hear about your Covid issues. Hopefully the fresh air and sunshine from your detecting tour helped. Feel better!

 

[jnicholes]

Great but why couldn't you go out from covid? There's no lockdowns I know of and people are vaxed. I can go anywhere regardless.
But yeah good get there.

Let me rephrase what I said. It’s hard to go out because I’m feeling so sick. It took a lot of effort for me just to go metal detecting.

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

So, I caught Covid again and I’m stuck at home. I decided to do some metal detecting around my yard because I was bored.

While I was detecting, I picked up something. I started to dig, and I went 4 inches down. In fact, I saw my sprinkler pipe. I thought it was the sprinkler pipe I was picking up, but further evidence showed it was not. I looked around, and I found this.

View attachment 2162483

Some people on the “what is it” part of the forum helped me identify it as a British war relief society button, approximately from the 1940s.

What that is doing in Idaho buried 4 inches underground, I don’t know.

I also found two pennies. One from 1971, and the other an unknown year.

View attachment 2162480

I keep pulling very interesting things out of my yard!

Anyway, that was my metal detecting day. I’m exhausted and feeling sick, so I’m gonna call it for right now.

Let me know what you think of these finds.

Jared

really cool find, love it when its right in your own yard!

 

[Red-Coat]

I wish you a speedy recovery.

I commented on your other thread about this button and would like to expand a little more. Although a number of eBay sellers are describing it as a “British War Relief Society uniform button”, I don’t think that’s the case. The society was a civilian organisation and didn’t have a uniform as such.

Headquartered on 5th Avenue in New York, the society was founded in 1939 as a civilian charitable organisation to provide non-military aid to people in Britain (including to soldiers) during the War. It raised cash for humanitarian aid and also accepted direct donations of food, clothing, blankets, medical supplies etc. from American people and companies (popularly known as “Bundles for Britain.”) Here’s a couple of their workers packaging up items for shipment in 1941:

The society also acted as an administrative hub and co-ordinator for other organisations with similar aims, including Red Cross organisations. I’m not aware of there being any official sew-on clothing buttons for the society but they did produce things like button lapel pins (pin-back and screw-back), badges and brooches which were sold for fund-raising purposes at $1 for the pins and $2.50 for the brooches. I believe the attribution of buttons like this by eBay sellers is based on the fact that the society used the Royal Arms on their pins and badges (and also perhaps to increase their appeal to American purchasers). All of the society’s pins carry the words "Official Bundles for Britain" or, more commonly, "Official BWRS and BB" on the back.


However, exactly the same arms are used on uniform buttons for the British Army’s “General Service Corps” and I believe that’s what these buttons were actually for. The corps was formed in February 1942 as a non-regimental holding unit to provide specialist skills to other units and regiments. It still exists, but would only be active at times of war. During WWII they operated from more than 30 primary training centres dotted around the country. Recruits to the corps are generally members of the Reserve Army and given six weeks of training in a particular skill-set before being allocated to a unit or regiment in need of the skills they have learned.

 

[jnicholes]

I wish you a speedy recovery.

I commented on your other thread about this button and would like to expand a little more. Although a number of eBay sellers are describing it as a “British War Relief Society uniform button”, I don’t think that’s the case. The society was a civilian organisation and didn’t have a uniform as such.

Headquartered on 5th Avenue in New York, the society was founded in 1939 as a civilian charitable organisation to provide non-military aid to people in Britain (including to soldiers) during the War. It raised cash for humanitarian aid and also accepted direct donations of food, clothing, blankets, medical supplies etc. from American people and companies (popularly known as “Bundles for Britain.”) Here’s a couple of their workers packaging up items for shipment in 1941:

View attachment 2162683

The society also acted as an administrative hub and co-ordinator for other organisations with similar aims, including Red Cross organisations. I’m not aware of there being any official sew-on clothing buttons for the society but they did produce things like button lapel pins (pin-back and screw-back), badges and brooches which were sold for fund-raising purposes at $1 for the pins and $2.50 for the brooches. I believe the attribution of buttons like this by eBay sellers is based on the fact that the society used the Royal Arms on their pins and badges (and also perhaps to increase their appeal to American purchasers). All of the society’s pins carry the words "Official Bundles for Britain" or, more commonly, "Official BWRS and BB" on the back.


However, exactly the same arms are used on uniform buttons for the British Army’s “General Service Corps” and I believe that’s what these buttons were actually for. The corps was formed in February 1942 as a non-regimental holding unit to provide specialist skills to other units and regiments. It still exists, but would only be active at times of war. During WWII they operated from more than 30 primary training centres dotted around the country. Recruits to the corps are generally members of the Reserve Army and given six weeks of training in a particular skill-set before being allocated to a unit or regiment in need of the skills they have learned.

Thanks for pointing that out. I really appreciate it. In fact, a friend of mine on a different forum said the same thing, and that it’s a general service corps button.

And just so everyone’s aware, I was able to beat Covid. I’m feeling a lot better now.

Regards,

Jared