Article 6 - WW2 Private Armies - British Security Co-Ordination (BSC)

Perhaps some of the rarest Canadian badges of WW2, and least understood are the two cap badges struck for British Security Co-ordination, or BSC for short. Two patterns are known, both die struck in gilding metal, with loops to the reverse and after a hard look is should be possible to locate the maker's mark on the larger first pattern badge: ' W. Scully / Ltd / Montreal' embossed in small letters, somewhat unevenly and vertically to either side of the right fixing loop when viewed from the reverse. It is much easier to find the naming on the smaller badge, or 2nd pattern, which incidentally, is the scarcer of the two. The two badges pictured in this article were formerly the property of the late Professor Charles Thomas (See my item 59522). They have now been sold, but another first pattern badge with the full title "British Security Co-Ordination", in near mint condition, is currently listed for sale as my item 68310.

The badges are controversial in as much as there is no documentary of photographic evidence of them ever being worn. Given the most secret nature of the organisation, a uniform with a badge would have been an extraordinary thing to do, unless it was intended to give the organisation a different persona to any German spies or sympathizers. One theory is they were produced as a cover story for the BSC as a private uniformed security force to protect British shipping when in USA ports. The intention of such a subterfuge being to disguise the true nature of the organisation, which was hidden away at its secret Canadian location and HQ known as Camp X. Please see the following link for more details of this camp and the BSC's real role:

https://www.campx.ca/campx.html

There is also a short chapter on the organisation in Len Whittaker's wonderful little book "Some talk of private armies", now out of print. Copies do command a premium, but it is well worth the investment if you are interested in odd little units such as this one and others created in WW2, operating in various theatres including LRDG and SAS, amongst others.

Sources:

Whittaker, L., (1984) "Some Talk of Private Armies", Hertfordshire, Albanium Publishing.

https://www.campx.ca/campx.html accessed 8th November 2024

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