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Davy Brothers & Park Iron Works


Bayleaf

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Hello, I have seen in an upcoming (August 20th 22) auction catalogue a bit of memorabilia associated with this "Davy Brothers Ltd" company. It is dated during WWI so it is a bit out of context with the adverts already listed with the post. I have tried give a bit of dating to those adverts though. The steam engine ad is circa 1866. The next ad "Davy Brothers" is circa 1870 and the " Davy Brothers Limited" ads are likely circa 1880. Thus my picture is of an item from around 30 plus years on and is a pin badge. "Davys" could have be doing something to help the war effort. I assume "OHMS" is "On His Majesty King Georges V's service. 

1532872607_DavyBros1915OHMSWarServicePinBadge.jpg.b52d9e72ac61aa5e9986fee205c153b3.jpg

Kalfred

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I think this is a badge for men who were doing war work and not in the forces.  The intention was to prevent abuse ("white feathers") due to them not being in uniform.

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It's not a regulation "Silver War Badge" (SWB) issued by government.  Employees in state industries were issued with lapel badges reading "King and Country" to indicate that they were serving the war effort, so it's not that either.  I suspect that it was issued by the company itself.  During WWI certain companies were designated "Controlled Establishments" because the work they did was essential to the war effort.  I'd guess that Davy Bros Ltd would be one of those.  At such establishments it was a penal offence for a worker to leave his current job without the consent of his employer under the Munitions of War Act 1915.  The provision was specifically enacted to prevent vital workers "signing up", particularly given the activities of the "White Feather Brigade".  Such permission would rarely be given and I'd guess that controlled establishments were officially authorised to issue such badges (particularly due to the "O.H.M.S. WAR SERVICE" inscription).

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