{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1114152"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1114152/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HD6634/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HD6634/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HD6634","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD6651","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HD6679","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1114152","accessionNumber":"S.355-1989","objectType":"Badge","titles":[{"title":"Wartime uniform shoulder tabs for a member of the Combined Services Entertainment Unit","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The Combined Services Entertainment unit, or CSE, originally called the Central Pool of Artists, was set up to supersede The Entertainments National Service Association, or ENSA. Basil Dean and Leslie Henson formed ENSA in 1939 as part of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II. \r\n\r\nENSA's first big wartime variety concert was broadcast by the BBC to the Empire and local networks from RAF Hendon in north London on 17 October  1939. Adelaide Hall, The Western Brothers and Mantovani were on the bill, with Adelaide Hall singing<i> We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line</i> accompanied by Mantovani and His Orchestra. Performers who served in the CSE include Benny Hill, Kenneth Williams, Spike Milligan and Stanley Baxter.\r\n\r\nThese shoulder tabs, with other CSA and ENSA badges, were given to the museum by Rae Hammond (1926-1995), manager of Cheltenham Everyman Theatre  and author of the book <i>The Magic of Edward Victor's Hands</i>. As an authority on magic in later life, magic may have been one of his specialities serving first with ENSA and later CSE.","physicalDescription":"Cloth shoulder tab made to be sewn to a uniform, with the letters CSE embroidered in gold embroidery thread","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"embroidering","id":"AAT53653"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Uniform","id":"THES253003"},{"text":"War","id":"THES257202"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2014HD6634","2014HD6651","2014HD6679"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES355495"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES355495"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Badge","id":"AAT193994"}],[{"text":"badges","id":"AAT193994"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United Kingdom","id":"x29336"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.353-1989","id":"O1114151"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.354-1989","id":"O1114148"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.356-1989","id":"O1114150"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.357-1989","id":"O1114149"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Rae Hammond","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"These shoulder tabs, with other CSE and ENSA badges, were given to the museum by Rae Hammond (1926-1995), manager of Cheltenham Everyman Theatre  and author of the book <i>The Magic of Edward Victor's Hands</i>. As an authority on magic in later life, magic may have been one of his specialities serving first with ENSA and later CSE.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pair of shoulder tabs originally sewn onto a uniform worn by a member of the Combined Services Entertainment unit, ca.1945, black fabric, embroidered C.S.E. in gold silk.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"World War II (1939-45)","id":"V16"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.355-1989","S.355A-1989"],"accessionNumberNum":"355","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1989,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Badge [1]","Badge [2]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2009-07-01","availableToBook":true}}