This page brings together various badges that were associated either directly with the Caronia,
or with an aspect of life on board.
1950s lapel badge
The Lapel Badge
This early enamel badge is from an unidentified maker. Several other ships had this style of badge, so it's unlikely to
be an official Cunard one. Whether these would have been able to be purchased from the on-board shop is also unknown.
Caronia Motoring Club badge
Caronia Motoring Club
This chrome enamelled badge was produced by Marples & Beasley of Birmingham.
[Left:]
Enamel Caronia Motoring Club badge
When I asked a former crew member who had been on Caronia for many years, “What did the Motoring
Club members do?”, back came the answer - “Nothing!”
Well, I'm hoping that remark will now provoke someone who was a member to put the record straight.
The RAOB Gold Jewel
In contrast to the Motoring club, I know for a fact that the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes
(R.A.O.B.) were very active on board Caronia. Their badges were known as “Jewels.”
The gold jewel (seen right) is enamelled on a gilded silver backing. On the reverse there are hallmarks of
an Anchor, Lion and “W” with a makers mark of FC. The hallmarking shows the jewel was assayed
at Birmingham in 1947, ready to have its enamelling applied later. The maker's mark “FC” belongs
to F:C: Parry Ltd, Birmingham.
The activities of the RAOB on board Caronia is the subject of on-going research. Please see the
dedicated RAOB Research pages.
Swimming Club sew-on badge
[Image: Courtesy of Reginald Gabbe]
Caronia Swimming Club
Instead of a metal badge, the Caronia Swimming Club had one woven, for sewing directly onto
their swimming-trunks
BRSC lapel badge
The Balmoral Rangers Badge?
The last item on this page is a bit of a mystery. At first sight, a badge with the name of the
Caronia's Balmoral Rangers Restaurant football team on, seems appealing.
Whether or not it applied to the Caronia has not yet been fully established. The absence of any
green colouring does make make me wonder if it was associated with the “Green Goddess”.
It is marked Sheridan - Perth with No.8 on its horse-shoe clasp. Any further information about this badge which confirms its
status either way would be much appreciated. Thanks.
