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Sunday 20 May 2012

Stretcher Bearer's Brassard


ID Number    PERS015

Title               Stretcher Bearer's Brassard

Maker            Hicks, Atkinson & Sons Pty Ltd

Object Type  
Badge

Place made     Australia: Victoria, Melbourne

Date made      1916

Physical          Brass; linen; wool; felt; white metal
Description

Description
White woollen herringbone brassard (arm band), lined with white linen, with a white metal buckle, and five brass eyelets at the free end for size adjustment. The letters ‘SB’ denoting stretcher bearer are sewn in fine red felted wool cloth to the centre. The rear bears manufactures stamp in purple ink ‘HICKS, ATKINSON & SONS PTY LTD 1916’ and a black stamped military inspector's arrow and the two letter code ‘WS’.

Summary
These brassards were worn on the left upper sleeve by stretcher bearers to identify their function and to allow them not to be confused with stragglers moving rearwards from the frontline. 


A Stretcher Bearer's with brassard seen in 1918.

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