New Zealand Military Cadet Corps Badge - Circa 1950-60

A nice White Metal CADETS CORPS Badge dating to 1950's-60's....measures 1 1/2" X 1 1/4". The badge has the Queen Elizabeth Crown to top with crossed Maori TAIAHA (Spears) and the Four Stars representing the Southern Cross. The New Zealand Cadet Forces (NZCF or Cadet Forces) is a voluntary military-style training organisation for New Zealand youth. Run in a partnership between the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and a number of locally appointed community organizations, it is composed of three Corps (similar to the New Zealand Defence Force): the Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) the New Zealand Cadet Corps (NZCC) and the Air Training Corps (ATC). The Defence Act of 1909 created the Territorial Force, which was aimed at having a compulsory part-time force where civilians would be given basic military training. The goal was to have 27,000 Territorial 18-19yr olds, with another 38,000 cadets (Junior Cadets 12-14, and Senior Cadets 14-18yrs). The Senior Cadets were to feed into the General Training Section (18yrs-21yrs), until being in the Reserves from 21 yrs- 30 yrs. Junior Cadets lasted just a short period from 1910 -1912. Senior Cadets thrived on the other hand, and became wide spread throughout NZ High Schools and Colleges. Many ex-Cadets went on to serve in WWI and then later in WWII. It became widely known as School Cadets and at its peak in the 1960’s, nearly 60,000 boys were in school cadets.