First Aid qualification badge, National Emergency Services (N.E.S.) New South Wales

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Handford

c. 1939 - 1945

Overview

Circular,.metal and enamel badge surmounted by a King's crown at the top, and a scroll below. The words 'National Emergency Service' are written in raised letters around the upper arc of the badge. The words 'New South Wales' appear in the scroll below. The letters 'NES' are written in red enamel in the centre.
Suspended below the badge by a pair of rings is a bar with the words 'First Aid'.
There a pin fastening on the reverse for attachment. The maker's name 'Handford' is impressed below the pin clasp.

Historical information

The National Emergency Services (N.E.S.) New South Wales was a large civilian volunteer organisation established in 1939 to protect people on the home front, specifically against potential aerial bombardments.
By the end of the war, it had mobilised over 115 000 volunteers statewide who served as wardens, first-aid personnel, stretcher-bearers, and rescue workers.
Wardens (which made up nearly half of the volunteer workforce) were assigned to specific local sectors, where they enforced strict blackout restrictions, handed out gas masks, and guided the public to safety during drills and alarms.
In Control Centres, women and men operated local emergency switchboards, coordinated fire and ambulance dispatches, and acted as despatch riders across blacked-out streets. Other groups worked alongside police, the military, and organisations like St John Ambulance to administer first aid, dig trench shelters, and clear debris.

The person who wore this badge was identified as someone qualified and trained in first-aid.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00880

Item type

Badges

Collectibles

Ephemera

Personal Effects

Themes

Social History

War and Conflict