Royal Australian Navy sweetheart brooch

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c. 1940

Overview

World War Two era Royal Australian Navy Perspex sweetheart brooch. It has a distinctive pentagonal shield-like silhouette with a curved, dome-shaped top and gently tapered, straight sides that narrow down to a flat base.
It features a central fouled anchor in red on a blue background, surrounded by a golden laurel wreath, surmounted by a King's Crown.
Below this, a ribbon banner with a red border contains the text 'ROYAL AUS. NAVY' in red letters.
The front surface has been polished smooth with rounded edges and appears pearlescent due to the clear Perspex above the white painted base.
The reverse is mostly cream and has a metal brooch fitting embedded within the Perspex for attachment. There is some cracking to the surface due to age.

Historical information

There are many items in the collection that have been made by or for service men and women whilst on active service. These are known by the collective term 'trench art' and include items made from locally available materials such as sea shells (to obtain the mother of pearl), tortoiseshell, coins, bullets, shell casings, Perspex and even toothbrush handles.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW01141

Item type

Badges

Collectibles

Ephemera

Jewellery

Souvenirs

Themes

Social History

War and Conflict