Female relatives' badge : Mrs Ford

Circular silver badge of a wreath surmounted by an Imperial crown. In the centre is a map of Australia surrounded by another wreath and the words 'TO THE WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA'. Suspended below the badge by a pair of rings is a bar with a single gilded star. The reverse is impressed with the serial number '40079' and has the raised words 'ISSUED BY THE C'WLTH GOVT' and 'G & E RODD 1944'.

This badge was issued to the wife and/or mother or nearest female relative of members of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army or Royal Australian Air Force who were on active service abroad. Clarence Frederick ('Fred') Ford was born at Paddington, NSW, in 1925. He was a member of the Australian Air League as a youth, and enlisted in the RAAF as soon as he reached the age of 18 in 1943. As number 432779, he underwent aircrew training as a wireless operator / air gunner, but was killed in April 1945, when he and the remainder of his crew, who were undergoing final training on Halifax aircraft with 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor, Yorkshire, were lost over the North Sea.