UK Village dump :- Button Stick

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 08-19-2009, 07:01 PM

My other hobby is collecting antique bottles that I dig up from long forgotten refuse tips. Often and especially on the small village refuse tips I've found that they were used for many decades meaning items can vary in age from 1880's right through to the 1950's. Obviously cvering such a long period it's quite common to find items dating from both World Wars.
Recently I've been cleaning a few items I found a while ago and amongst them was a button stick. These normally date to the First World War period. They were slipped over buttons when they were polished to protect the uniform from the polish stains. Sadly with staybright buttons they became redundant.
Anyway normally I wouldn't have bothered posting this, but when I cleaned it up I found a British (Army?) Service Number stamped into the peice 3526856, because its seven digits its pre 1920?.
Anyway are there any ways I could find out who 3526856 was?, the websites I've checked out all want a name to do a search.
Thanks if you can help.
LUCKYSTRIKE.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-19-2009, 08:15 PM

Hi, all I can tell you is the number would place him as a member of the Manchester Regt.

Cheers, Ade.

OKW · 08-19-2009, 08:43 PM

Try National Archive site, check the ww1 medal roll, although as Ade has pointed out before this may bring up several names with the same number but to different units. Select unit closest to where you found button stick. Button sticks were still used by national servicemen up until 1961, having done their basic training they had to be kept busy doing something and polishing brasses and whitewashing stones, coal also, is a good a way as any.

**LUCKYSTRIKE** · 08-19-2009, 10:26 PM

Hi guys, Thanks for your help Ade I'd found that ref to the Manchester Reg. Hindsight It's quite possible because the first number is not stamped clearly that its a 5, it was found in Hampshire. If thats the case then it fits 5526856 would make it a Hampshire Reg number.
OKW thanks for the info very useful sadly nothing came up when I tried the search.
All the best.
LUCKYSTIKE

OKW · 08-20-2009, 09:48 AM

More likely a 3 if you look at the other 2 5's, they have well defined tops and the curl on the first figure is different to the 5's. The button stick itself had to be highly polished for inspection, a fingerprint on it, even on the back would result in a charge and some form of punishment, jankers.

**stuka f** · 08-20-2009, 11:30 AM

Any chance to see some thing of your bottle collection?

**Zachrynor** · 08-25-2009, 08:45 PM

I would also like to see your bottle collection! Im a amateur collector myself since i stumbled upon a 1700-1710 English onion bottle!

**stuka f** · 08-25-2009, 09:17 PM

by Zachrynor

I would also like to see your bottle collection! Im a amateur collector myself since i stumbled upon a 1700-1710 English onion bottle!

What is a "1700-1710 English onion bottle!", have you got any pictures?

**Zachrynor** · 08-25-2009, 09:33 PM

Its not really that special i guess if your from england. But here in norway i talked with a bottle collector that said that we probably only were 2 people to own one of these over here.
He also said that later the dutch started mass producing these and that those were not nearly as rare.