Uniform Buttons

Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps

Left: gold, backmark Stokes. Right: rose gold, backmark Stokes Melb. They have different shanks.

This  is one of the Army’s largest corps, started in 1902. It supports the Army, Navy and Airforce with tasks including parachute maintenance, warehousing, laundry and salvage. The button shows three stacked cannons, symbolising the role of Ordnance in supplying weapons. The motto ‘Sua Tela Tonanti’ translates as ‘To the Warrior his Arms’.

Launceston Regiment 12th Infantry Battalion

Stokes & Sons Melb  1953-1960.

The battalion was raised as part of the AIF within three weeks of the declaration of war in 1914, comprising volunteers from Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia. It was disbanded in 1919.

Chronicle (Adelaide), 9th October 1915 page 30. South Australian members of the 12th Infantry Battalion.

It was re-raised in 1921 and titled ‘The Launceston Regiment’ in 1927. Following mergers, and disbandment, it was reformed as part of the CMF in 1948. Further merging and demerging followed. Currently, it continues as part of the merged 12/40th Battalion of the Royal Tasmania Regiment, part of the Australian Army Reserve.

For more of its convoluted timeline, see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_Battalion_(Australia)

The Mercury (Hobart), 25th March 1953 page 3. Members of the 12th Infantry Battalion on exercises.