NEWARK CIVIL DEFENSE COLLECTION

 By: Dennis Beyer

I have a small box of badges that are not hanging on the walls of my museum (Den). I don't go through it very often, but recently there was some interest. After sorting out the contents on the kitchen counter (my wife wasn't home at the time) I found eight beautiful badges from: Civil Defense - Newark, NJ.

These badges are in excellent condition, and in fact look like they were made only yesterday. Why they were not mounted under glass in a nice display box is beyond me. It didn't take long to solve this problem. Along the way I remembered I had these badges at one time on display, but stashed them away, using the space for something of, at the time, greater interest.

At the top of this article is the 9" x 12"  Oak box (Glass Front) that these eight badges now call "home."  I found a spot on my wall that they can hang with some other treasures from Newark, N.J.  Now let me share some history.

These Badges date back to the 1940's. They were issued to civilians who came to the call for volunteers during the war effort. Mayor Vincent Murphy issued the call for assistance three days after Pearl Harbor. A copy of his letter, dated Dec 10, 1941, to the citizens of Newark is below:

That's a pretty cool piece of history. I wish I had the original document in my collection, but I'll just have to settle for the beautiful Civil Defense badges presented in this post.

The group below are entry level or "Officer Badges." They were made by H. Buchlien & Son in Newark. The design is a Jersey Standard  circle on an eagle, with the center left for usually a State or City Seal. The first three badges have a raised mound at the center with the words: POLICE DEPT stamped into its' surface. 

The above two badges have a nicer Center Piece. Using raised letters the inscription reads POLICE. All five of these badges are Nickle plated, and, as the pictures show, are in excellent condition. Working pins, with catches, are in the rear of these items. They measure almost 3 inches in height.

Below are three more Civil Defense Badges. They are "rank" badges and are marked:  Sergeant,  Lieutenant, and  Deputy Chief.

The two Items pictured above are also nearly 3 inches in height. They are gold-tone finish in excellent condition. The Sergeants Badge is looking factory new, with the Lieutenant's looking  like it has a little wear (It still looks good). Both have a red, white, and blue Civil Defense (CD) at center point.  They are numbered  6 and 68 respectfully.

The last badge pictured is the smallest in the display. It measures 2 inches in height. This badge also has a gold-tone finish with the distinctive multi color seal in the middle. It is marked with recessed blue enamel lettering, which reads: Deputy Chief,  Newark AUX, Fire Dept, NJ. This shield is the only one with the identification of FIRE Dept stamped into it.

All of these badges, having now been rescued from storage, are now hanging proudly on the wall in my den. Each day I look at them I can't help thinking how I buried them in a box for all those years. Now I am very happy to have them out where they can be appreciated.