Scotch College

Wartime shortage of cap badges

Archivist Dr Jim Mitchell with Barbara Blanch and John Blanch's Prefect's badge

During World War II, metal was in short supply and had to be directed into the war effort. (For example, in England housewives sacrificed their aluminum saucepans to make Spitfire aircraft.) Luxuries such as schoolboys’ cap badges were no longer made.

Scotch boys either wore badgeless caps or hoped to obtain a badge from a previous student.

Occasionally, boys benefitted from the kindness of strangers, as when Don Badenach was waiting for a tram in Riversdale Road and a woman gave him a cap badge numbered 1441 (Don himself was no 1313).

More commonly, boys obtained the badges of older male relatives or family acquaintances. Hedley Long, who started school in 1944, received his badge from one of the Colcloughs. John Shaw (Vice-Captain, 1944) was first cousin of John Blanch (Captain, 1938) and their mothers transferred the older John’s prefect’s badge to his younger cousin.

John Shaw has now returned that badge to John Blanch’s widow, Barbara, and she has donated it to the archives.

Both Johns, as well as being Captain or Vice-Captain, held an impressive range of other positions ranging from House Captain, through Captain of Boats, Aths or Swimming, to Editor of Satura. Later, John Blanch sat for many years on the School Council and was also President of OSCA.

Their joint badge is a welcome addition to our collection.

Dr Jim Mitchell
Archivist