King's Badge for buttonhole
The King's Badge was a large silver pin to be worn only on civilian clothing. It was issued by the British government to persons who served after World War II was declared, on September 3, 1939, and who were discharged through injury due to war service.
Its basic purpose was to show that the wearer was a veteran. Included among the eligible were members of the armed forces, the merchant navy, the fishing fleets, the Coast Guard, police, Civil Defence Services, and the Home Guard. [1]
Like the better known Silver War Badge of World War I, the King's Badge included the initials GRI for Georgius Rex Imperator, in this case referring to King-Emperor George VI. (The earlier badge was in the name of his father, George V.) The wording around the initials was also changed from For King and Empire Services Rendered to For Loyal Service. While it did come with a certificate, the King's Badge was not serially numbered.[2]
References[]
The original article can be found at King's Badge and the edit history here.