Rare WW1 Merchant Navy 1st Pattern Red Embroidered Torpedo Badge

A rare WW1 Torpedo badge. This badge had to be applied for and was authorised on 6th June 1918 for wear by Merchant Navy personnel sunk by enemy action. Circa 7.2cm wide and 1.8cm tall. In very good condition.

When Admiral Jellicoe inspected the merchant seaman gunnery training college at Crystal Palace, he went down the ranks of one class asking the men how many times they had been torpedoed...the answers were "7 times, sir", "twice, sir", "4 times, sir" and finally "None, sir, I have only been mined."

Extracted from Hansard:

Sir A. Stanley: ... It has been suggested that some official recognition should be accorded for the gallantry of merchant servants, officers and seamen, who continue going to sea after having been torpedoed. This matter has been laid before His Majesty the King, and I am very glad to say that he has been graciously pleased to approve that badges shall be awarded through the Board of Trade to officers and seamen of the Mercantile Marine who have been on the articles of any British merchant or fishing vessel sunk or damaged during the present War by torpedo or mine and who have afterwards completed a further voyage on the articles of a British vessel. The badge will be in the form of a torpedo and is intended to be worn on the cuff of the left sleeve either of the man's sea or shore rig, and a bar to be worn under the torpedo badge will be awarded to Mercantile Marine officers and seamen after having been torpedoed or mined for the second time, and an additional bar for each subsequent similar service. The scheme will be retrospective and will apply to all persons employed on British merchant ships, including stewardesses. It is proposed to make the necessary arrangements at once and to publish an announcement when these have been completed. I am sure that what I have said will give particular pleasure to all hon. Members, and particularly those who have specially interested themselves in this matter."

Badges were awarded to next of kin where a claim was successful had the applicant survived.

To quote The Board of Trade regarding the wear of this badge:

The Torpedo badge is to be sewn on the cuff of the left sleeve of either sea or shore rig, with head of torpedo pointing away from the wearer.

This torpedo badge was authorised on 6th June 1918. On the 12th December 1918, the badge was approved in gold wire. Holders of the red badge and bar could exchange them for the gold badge. So the red version is probably much more scarce than the gold wire version.

A4.1

Code: 59939