The South African
Military History Society
Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging


Military History Journal
Vol 1 No 5 - December 1969

BADGE DESIGN

Designed by MRS. E. J. WINDER

It will be recalled that a number of suggestions for the design of our badge were submitted by members to whom we are grateful. From these it was evident that the symbols of sword and pen were most appropriate. The diagonal crossing of a single sword and pen within a shield gave an effect commonly used (such as crossed hockey sticks, crossed rifles, etc.) and in the final design we sought to get away from that particular representation. This led to the decision to give the sword a simple upright position and have it crossed at right angles by not one pen but three, representing the records of the three Forces - Land, Air and Sea. Checked against recorded heraldic badges this seemed an acceptable design.

For the sword one might have been side-tracked into using an ornate sabre or foil but ours is not a fencing club, it is a military history society and as such is better represented by a simple Roman-type sword which does not set a particular period in history.

The pens are, of course, the symbolic goose quills with white flights, cut ready for use. The sword is silver and gold, and the whole design shows up well on a ground of dark navy, thus limiting the colours to four.

The Scroll bears the name of the Society in both languages, the English version being the S.A. Military History Society, it having been decided earlier that the word "History" was to be preferred to "Historical" in denoting the aims of the Society. In Afrikaans we have it as Die S.A. Krygshistoriese Vereniging.


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