Following the cessation of hostilities in WW1 the Royal Navy established the Mine Clearance Service to clear the thousands of mines that continued to threaten shipping lanes. Over 250,000 mines were laid by both sides in the North Sea, English Channel and other strategically important coastal areas. This operation lasted from 1918-1920.

Personnel included experienced sailors, naval reservists and crews trained in handling and clearing munitions of this kind. They variously used minesweepers, converted trawlers, sloops and drifters to help them with this task.

Minesweeping meant the sweeping of moored mines, severing their cables and exploding them on the surface. For contact mines divers placed explosive charges on them. The procedures and protocols developed by the Royal Navy formed the foundation for modern naval mine countermeasure techniques. It was incredibly dangerous work.

The service badge features a floating mine within a laurel wreath with a King's Crown atop.

There are plenty of fakes around. Our example however:

• Is made of solid white metal with original brass backing and cotter pin with lugs running E-W. Many examples come without the backing and pins

• Has sharp, crisp detail

• Does not have the faint tell-tale bottom-right to top-left die flaw used in reproductions

• Has a faint vertical line as in genuine examples (difficult to show in photos but can be seen under magnifying glass)

• Is the regulation 8.2cms high

A superb collector's item, a step above many other examples we have seen.