Mothers and Widows Badge: Mrs Margaret Fahey

Black silk ribbon is machine embroidered in gold with wattle sprigs, a 'Rising Sun' badge and 'FOR AUSTRALIA'. Badge is suspended from a whitemetal bar bearing laurel leaves. A whitemetal bar at the bottom of the ribbon bears a single star to indicate one death. The serial number '6517' is impressed on the reverse of the pin clasp.

Associated with the service and death of Private Michael Sexton Fahey, this badge was issued to his mother, Margaret, after his death. A single 44 year old farmer from Parkes in New South Wales, Fahey enlisted with the AIF on 27 July 1916. He embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A19 Afric on 3 November 1916, and served with the 57th Battalion on the Western Front.

Fahey was killed in action on 14 October 1917 at Broodseinde Ridge, Passchendaele, Belgium. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial. His mother wrote to the Officer in Charge, Base Records, Victoria Barracks, on 13 January 1919 requesting to know “if I could have his remains brought home and what it would cost.”

The First World War Mothers’ and Widows’ Badge was issued to the mothers and/or widows of members of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) or the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force who were killed in action, died of wounds or other causes while on active service, or after discharge died of wounds or sickness directly attributable to their service. A version with an anchor was available for the mothers and widows of naval casualties.

The black ribbon was machine-embroidered in gold with wattle sprigs, a Rising Sun badge, and the words "For Australia". The badges were suspended from a white metal bar which bore laurel leaves. Stars were added to the bottom bar, each indicating the death of one person. The badge was promulgated under Military Order 64 of 1919.