WWII Webley Works Badge for sale

[Troubledshooter]

As above, an extremely rare Webley badge for sale.
To the best of my knowledge, these badges were issued to factory personnel as a means of identification should they be seriously injured or killed during a factory bombing raid.
They were issued in two formats, one for the ladies with a safety pin fixing, this is the version I'm offering for sale, and a second version with a horseshoe shaped button hole fixing for the men.
All had serial numbers embossed on the reverse side which were recorded against the recipients name in a ledger.
I don't know how many were issued, but I only know of three others in UK collections, although there may well be others, particularly in private collections that stay private.
It will be interesting to see if others now appear, rather like the several Webley oil bottles that appeared after I found the first one:

Badge Face
Badge Reverse

I'm asking £460 for this rare item, and this includes postage by RMSD/ND to any UK address.
If there is any interest from overseas Webley collectors, then postage would have to be adjusted accordingly.

[Mark D]

Wow David

You certainly have some real scarce and superb items from your Webley collection.

I wonder how Webley expected these badges to remain with the registered owner, if the worst was to have happened!

Is it likely that some ex employees kept these badges after they left and they lurk in the bottom of a case,or have been handed down to family over the years, like medals etc.

[Troubledshooter]

I don't know what would have happened if the badge became detached from the employee, but if it was then found and the employee wasn't, they would know something had happened to him or her.
It wasn't a perfect system of identification, but better than nothing.
You may very well be correct about some of the badges still lurking in drawers, Mark, so it will be interesting to see if any more turn up.

[Josie & John]

I seem to recall one came up a little while ago with some provenance confirming the original owner. My poor memory recalls the original owner was a lady but sadly that's all. It may have been on the Bay but again, I can't remember for sure.

John

[Troubledshooter]

I can't remember one ever coming up on Eb@y, but that's not to say it hasn't happened.
At least one of those I know about came from a non descript sale of all sorts, amongst a tin of badges, quite some time ago.

[Troubledshooter]

Elevate.

[Troubledshooter]

Elevate.

[Troubledshooter]

Elevate.