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CEF Buttons

I apologize if anyone was hoping this page would answer all questions regarding CEF buttons. This is just a general overview showing a few examples. CEF jackets generally can be found with one of three types of buttons: unit buttons, Canadian General Service buttons, or British General Service buttons. Any British manufactured jacket would have been issued with British General Service buttons. It is very common to find a British manufactured jacket issued to and worn by a Canadian, with the Canadian General Service buttons on it. British manufactured jackets with unit or Canadian General Service buttons would have been changed after issue. Unit buttons were not paid for by the Crown, and were supplied usually by an wealthy donor to the unit.

Canadian General Service Show here are the three sizes of buttons found on issued jackets. The large (23 mm) buttons to secure the front opening, the 18 mm buttons used to secure the pocket flaps, and the 15 mm buttons for the shoulder straps.

British General Service (GS) buttons. British manufactured jackets were issued with these buttons.

Canadian Militia General Service (GS) buttons.

5th Canadian Mounted Rifles from Sherbrooke Quebec 3rd Canadian Division. This is on a British manufactured jacket, it would have been issued with British General Service buttons. It is not uncommon to find British manufactured jackets issued to and worn by a Canadian, with unit buttons which were sewn on after the jacket was issued.

Machine Gun Corps

Canadian Engineers.

26th Battalion Saint John New Brunswick.

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