Good Conduct badge

Date1920s

Object number00036198

NameBadge

MediumCloth

DimensionsOverall: 59 x 181 mm

ClassificationsClothing and personal items

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John B Kiley

Terms

DescriptionThese two stripes were issued to John Berchmans Kiley for eight years of Good Conduct service in the Royal Australian Navy. As a Leading Seamen, Kiley would have worn the stripes directly below his rank badge on his left sleeve.HistoryJohn Berchmans Kiley was born on 29 January 1910 and joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1925. He began his naval service on HMAS TINGIRA, a ship for boy sailors moored at Rose Bay in Sydney, where he trained for 15 months. He served on HMAS SYDNEY for around 12 months before joining HMAS HMAS MELBOURNE on its last voyage to England in 1928, returning home on the new HMAS AUSTRALIA in the same year. John undertook four years of training at HMAS CERBERUS studying a range of gunnery courses. Kiley reached the rank of Leading Seaman, and to his great disappointment was invalidated out of the navy around 1930 due to respiratory illness. With the introduction of official records of service and improved administration, long periods of service were recognised within the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Up until the mid-1970s the RAN issued stripes every four years to those being of 'Good Conduct'. Today they are issued to all naval personnel every four years (up until 12 years) in recognition of long service, regardless of conduct.SignificanceThese service stripes are part of a collection of personal effects belonging to John Berchmans Kiley. It is an important historical record of the daily life of a boy sailor in the Royal Australian Navy in the early 20th century.