ACTIVE SERVICE BADGE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2696, 16 February 1916, Page 5

ACTIVE SERVICE BADGE

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN.

A correspondent, writing from. Hawke's Bay, draws attention to the fact that the Australian Expeditionary Forces nre given a metal badge to bo Worn by men of the Main Body and all Bfiinforcomenis. Tho correspondent wished to know whether such a badge was issued to New Zealand troops serving abroad.

Thero is no universal badge for Now Zealand troops on active service. The men of. the Reinforcements wear on iheir shoulder straps a brass badge insisting of the initials of their companies and the numbers' of "the Reinforcements sot within fern leaves. A man in A Company of the Tenth Reinforcements would have ' the latter A above the-number 10. The New Zealand' Rifle Brigade badge consisted of the Earl of Liverpool's crest made in dark bronze. It is the practice, however, for the soldiers who have been in the Territorial forces to continue to wear their regimental badges, and each regiment lias seen that nil men from its ranks are equipped with badges. In the Main Body there were about 250 officers and men who bad been in the 9th (Hawke's Bay) Regiment, and the expanse of providing them all with , bronze badges was considerable, the cost of some of the badges being about 3s. It may be mentioned that the 9th Regiment's infantry badge consists of a red deer's, head, surmounting a crown, Within fern leaves, and the motto is "Kia' Toa"; the Mounted Rifles' badge is a horse rampant, above the words i "fortes,,fortnna juvat."