Need help identifying an ex service 'object' please

Not actually seen it , but I am told its about 4 inches long and about 2
wide.

It has the man's service number engraved on the other side. He was in the
RAF ( something to do with wireless/communications I think).
Does anyone have any idea what it could be please?
Ta!

John the R-T...

It's a kitchen roll.
Never used them in the RN. Didn't use the uniform protector either.

Anita...

Ron said you slide it under your buttons when you clean them - saves you
getting polish on your uniform - they were issued to all servicemen,
during the war - then they made them out of plastic :)

Mike Clayton...

Does anyone remember the 'Housewife', pronounced 'Hussif'?

Aries...

Tony tells me it a gadget to clean uniform buttons :)

jamps...

I'm fairly sure it is to do with cleaning the tunic buttons.
It slides between button and tunic so that the polish isn't transferred to

Tickettyboo...

wow I told my friend we would get the answer in here :-) and such quick
service too!
Thank you everyone. It had me stumped!

noreen...

What it was Boo you are not old enough !!! i remember my hubby having one of
them ;-)))))

the material!

uker...

That right, it's for applying brasso to your badges and buttons. I had the
please of using the object while I was in the Army. Duke of Wellington
Regiment

Mike Clayton...

Blimey, its a button stick. I used to have one exactly the same. You use
it to polish your buttons and your webbing. It is placed under the
button or the brass fittings on the webbing to prevent the material of
your uniform or your webbing belt from being affected by the Brasso, or
Duraglit.

Whilst I was in, plastic buttons were introduced (looked like polished
brass), that reduced the polishing workload a lot.

Pam the goose...

It's called a Button Stick, boo.
Others have told you how it's used ;-)

Mike Clayton...

The buttons became plastic, button sticks were always brass.

Old Grizzly...

yep
its normally brass and you use it behind brass objects like buttons,
badges, buckles etc when you use(ed) Brasso to polish them without
getting the same all ober you uniform :)

MCC...

Smokey...

That's right I remember as a kid cleaning the buttons on my big brothers RAF
uniform :-))

As the others have told you, Boo, it's an Army or RAF thingy to protect
their uniforms from all the bullsh!t that was going around
We had no need of them in the R.N.

Mike Clayton...

Ah, but we didn't have trousers with silly bottoms :-)

MCC...

Very traditional they were - easy to roll up when the sailors were
scrubbing the decks ;-))
I'm just glad I was a radio operator :-))

Old Grizzly...

or, it was said getting them off over boots easy if you had to jump
over the side. ;-) and now i wonder why young girls wear them LOL

Bill P...

Rocognized my old friend straight away from me army days Boo. Even that had
to be highly bulled for inspections.

Pam the goose...

rofl

I has a brother in the RAF, as Ray was, and we really did LOL when either of
them got their button stick out and put it round the buttons, cleaned them,
then finished up by taking the Brasso to the button stick.