Material: Brass
Size: 40mm w × 47mm h
Description: This die-struck brass headdress insignia belongs to the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), the first official female unit established within the British Army. The voided center displays the stacked monogram letters of the unit, formatted with a prominent "W" positioned directly above a split "A A", which sits over a stylized bottom "C". The monogram is encircled by a highly detailed laurel wreath that joins at an open apex, terminating in a bound ribbon bow at the base. The reverse retains its original dual-loop wire lugs used to secure the piece to a tight-fitting khaki cap or slouch hat. Hand-stamped into the back is the rare alphanumeric tracking index "G 17213," which corresponds to the official war service enrollment or issue number assigned to the specific female volunteer. In the upper leaves JR GAUNT - LONDON.
Circa: 1917–1918
Notes:
The stamped "G" prefix on the reverse indicates a highly specialized, sequentially numbered issue produced by the military outfitter J.R. Gaunt & Son, London. Because the vast majority of WAAC personal service records were destroyed during the German Blitz bombings of World War II, surviving badges with intact, legible numbers serve as highly critical genealogical links.
This specific stacked monogram design became completely obsolete in April 1918 when the unit received royal patronage, renaming it Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC).