cWW2 Civil Defence (CD) Printed War Service - 4 Years - Chevrons Stripes Badge Patch

cWWII, C.D. War Service Chevrons. Calico Printers. VGC.

Introduced in February 1944, war service chevrons, which were identical to those awarded to army personnel, were worn on the lower right sleeve of the civil defence battledress and tunics. The designated position (as per ARP Memo 17) was midway between the sleeve seams and the apex of the lower chevron was four inches from the end of the sleeve.

A sealed pattern for War Service Chevrons has been noted with a date of 4 September 1943. So the discussion and requirement for these chevrons predates this.

On 23 March 1944, the following details recorded in Parliament appeared in the Times newspaper:

"CHEVRONS FOR C.D. WORKERS W.V.S. MEMBERS ELIGIBLE, I can, however, announce to-day that the official chevrons for war service are to be extended to certain further civil defence organisations, including the rest centres, the emergency food (including the Queen's Messenger Convoy) service, the canteen, the emergency information and the mortuary services, which have been up to the present excluded. We are also on the point of expanding the chevron scheme so that some 227,000 additional members of the Women's Voluntary Services engaged in Civil Defence will also be eligible."

Each red chevron denoted 12 months' service in the Civil Defence services since hostilities began on 3 September, 1939.

​For people engaged on Civil Defence duties but who did not wear a uniform the chevrons could be sewn onto an armband. Examples exist showing them in the Civil Defence and Fire Guard armbands.

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