Female Relatives' Badge : E Wells

Silver Female Relative's Badge with two bars. The badge is formed by a blue enamelled oval around the voided letters 'AIF'. The oval contains the words 'ISSUED BY DEPT OF DEFENCE TO WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA'. A blue enamelled scroll beneath this contains the words 'FOR DUTY DONE'. The badge is surmounted with a King's Crown and has a pin fastening and safety chain on the back. In raised letters on the reverse are the words 'STOKES & SONS MELB STG. SIL.'. Also on the reverse is impressed the serial number '135175', and the engraved recipient's details, 'Emily Wells (nee Byrne)'. Two bars are suspended from the bottom of the badge. They are impressed on the reverse with the numbers '134767' and '134766'. An enamel colour patch of 3 Pioneer Battalion, AIF, is soldered between the two bars.

The Female Relatives Badge was issued by the Commonwealth Government to the wife and/or mother, or to the nearest female relative, of soldiers, nurses and masseurs who had left Australia for active service abroad. A bar suspended below the badge was issued for each additional son or daughter serving. This badge was issued to Mrs Emily Wells (nee Byrne) in recognition of the service of her three sons 3125 Herbert Samuel Wells, 3133 Edmund Keane Wells and 1681 Edward Priestley Wells, in the AIF. Edward Wells enlisted on 20 July 1915 and served in the ANZAC Mounted Division Signal Squadron. He returned to Australia on 24 June 1916. Edmund Wells enlisted on 26 October 1916 and served with 4 Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company. He returned to Australia on 7 February 1919. Herbert Wells enlisted on 7 November 1916, served with 3 Australian Pioneer Battalion, and returned to Australia on 22 July 1918.