Civil Defence Corps Black Plastic Button – 16mm

Civil Defence uniform button in black plastic, produced in the King’s Crown pattern worn from 1935 to 1952 by members of the Civil Defence Service and subsequently the Civil Defence Corps of Great Britain. This British Home Front civilian uniform button displays the recognised Civil Defence device in raised relief on a domed black plastic body, incorporating a King’s Crown at the topmost point, surmounting the initials “CD” in block capitals. The domed black plastic construction is consistent with the standard production format for Civil Defence uniform buttons throughout both the wartime and post-war Cold War periods, the plastic material having been adopted as the standard button construction for Civil Defence uniform issue in preference to the metal buttons used on military service dress of the same era.

The Civil Defence organisation in Great Britain originated in 1935 when the Home Office established the Air Raid Precautions service in anticipation of the growing threat of aerial bombardment, the organisation being formally renamed the Civil Defence Service in 1941 to reflect its expanded scope beyond air raid precautions alone. The “CD” monogram surmounted by a crown had been adopted as the principal Civil Defence device from the earliest years of the service, worn as a breast badge, on buttons, and on the battledress uniform of Civil Defence volunteers across all branches, including the ARP Wardens Service, the Rescue Service, the First Aid parties, and the Auxiliary Fire Service. Over 1.9 million people served within the Civil Defence Service during the Second World War, of whom nearly 2,400 lost their lives to enemy action. The wartime Civil Defence Service was disbanded on 2 May 1945 following the end of hostilities in Europe. With the onset of the Cold War and the growing threat of nuclear attack, the Civil Defence Corps was reconstituted under the Civil Defence Act 1948 and formally stood up in 1949, continuing in existence until its disbandment in 1968 following the government’s reassessment of civil defence provision under the Duncan Sandys Defence White Paper of that year. The King’s Crown button dates from either the wartime Civil Defence Service period of 1935 to 1945 or the early post-war Civil Defence Corps period of 1949 to February 1952, after which the Queen’s Crown pattern was adopted following the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. It is worth noting that King’s Crown examples remained in stores and continued to be issued through the mid-1950s, meaning the King’s Crown button is not exclusively a wartime or immediate post-war production item.

Manufactured in domed black plastic consistent with Civil Defence uniform button production of the 1935 to 1952 period, this example provides a well-defined representation of the standard issue Civil Defence tunic button as worn across both the wartime Civil Defence Service and the Cold War Civil Defence Corps. Civil Defence King’s Crown buttons are collected as examples of British Home Front militaria, Second World War civilian service uniform hardware, and insignia associated with the wartime and Cold War civil defence organisation of Great Britain.

Condition Good