Badges of The East Surrey Regiment

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31st Foot Officers Helmet Plate 1878-81	Other Rank's Cap Badge 1952-59	70th Foot Officers Helmet Plate 1878-81

 

The East Surrey Regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 31^st (Huntingdonshire) and 70^th (Surrey) Regiments, which became the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions of the new regiment respectively. The 31^st traced its antecedents, somewhat tenuously, to a corps of marines formed in 1702; the 70^th was formed in 1756 as the 2^nd Battalion 31^st and was re‑numbered as the 70^th in 1758.

When county titles were allocated in 1782, in an attempt to facilitate recruiting by giving each regiment a regional identity, the 31^st chose Huntingdonshire because their then colonel, General Thomas Clarke, was personally associated with that county. From its place of origin and its French‑grey facings, the 70^th was nicknamed "Glasgow Greys", but when county titles were allocated, "Surrey" was that given to the 70^th. In 1812 their title changed to the 70^th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment, but reverted to "Surrey" in 1825.

Neither the 31^st nor 70^th possessed a distinctive badge of their own, but the absence of any distinctive motif beyond the number did not mean that there was any lack of decoration in the early regimental badges. An example was the officers' shako plate used from 1822 by the 31^st, which in its materials of manufacture must rank among the most elaborate of all time.

31st Foot Officers Shako Plate 1829-44	31st Foot Officers Shako Plate 1864	70th Foot Officers Shako Plate 1844-55	70th Foot Officers Shoulder Belt Badge

 

It consisted of the usual "rayed" star or eight principal points, in gilt, upon which was situated a gilt voided strap bearing the inscription "Huntingdonshire', with a gilt crown above in which the cushion was in crimson velvet. The central disc enclosed by the strap, and the backing to the voided strap itself, was in mother-of-pearl and upon the central disc was "XXXF in gilt.

Officers Pre 1881 Badges
Officers Waist Belt Clasp	31st Foot Officers Cross Belt Badge	70th Foot Officers Cross Belt Badge	70th Foot Officers Waist Belt Clasp

 

Succeeding patterns of head-dress badge similarly carried only the number and battle-honours by way of regimental distinction. Especially impressive were the officers' plates of the 1829 shako. For the 31^st the plate consisted of a rayed star with eight principal points, the upper point covered by a large crown, in gilt, upon which was a wide, upright-oval wreath of oak‑leaves, in gilt, which carried six battle-honours upon imitation ribbons in silver, as if wrapped around the wreath. At the left side (as the plate is viewed) these were "Pyrenees" (top), "Albuhera" (middle) and "Nive' (bottom), these honours having been granted in 1823 (Albuhera in 1816). Within the oak-wreath was an upright-oval wreath of laurel in silver upon a slightly‑domed gilt background, with a scroll at the top of the wreath inscribed "Peninsula", and within the wreath 'XXXI" in silver. The officers' plate for the 70^th was somewhat plainer, having no battle-honours; it consisted of the same crowned, rayed star plate upon which was superimposed a diamond-cut silver star of eight principal points (the upper point concealed by the base of the crown), upon which was a circular laurel-wreath surrounding "70" upon a domed ground, with a scroll inscribed "Surrey" at the base.

 

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