Badges of
The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)

Officers Glengarry 1874-81	Officers Glengarry 1881-1902	Other Rank's Glengarry 1881-1902

 

The number continued to be the only distinction on other ranks' plates, but officers' plates were more elaborate; the 1855 plate, for example, was of the general pattern, a gilt, eight-pointed rayed star with a crown covering the upper ray, bearing in the centre a voided Garter surrounding the Paschal Lamb over "2", in silver. The same device was displayed in the centre of the Garter of the 1869 shako plate, which is recorded both entirely in gilt, and gilt with silver central devices. The collar badge worn from the early 1870s consisted on the Paschal Lamb standing upon a torse (heraldic wreath), in brass.

Officers Cap Badge 1881-1924	Other Rank's Cap and Collar Badges 1881-1924	Officers SD Cap Badge 1902-24

 

The Glengarry badge (worn from 1871) consisted of a voided strap inscribed "Queen's Royal", with "2" in the centre and a Paschal Lamb on top of the strap; in brass. From 1874 officers were authorised to use a Paschal Lamb over "2", in gold embroidery, upon their forage caps. Although the regiment avoided amalgamation in the reorganisation of 1881, their regimental number was discontinued and their title altered to The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). This was the first time that a county affiliation had been included in the regimental title, the old 2^nd Foot being one of the few to avoid this linkage when county titles were first allocated in 1782. (At that time, when consulted, the regiment reported that it did not want a county affiliation, presumably its royal title was regarded as sufficiently distinguished and that its primary recruiting districts at that date were Halifax, Bradford and Wakefield.

Officers Torrin Cap 1870-95	The two different Officers SD Collar badges 1902-24	Other Rank's Foreign Service Helmet 1878-81

 

New insignia was required after the discontinuance of the regimental number. For example, the other ranks' 1878 helmet had a plate-centre comprising a brass circlet inscribed "West Surrey" enclosing a white metal Paschal Lamb in the voided centre. In the centre of the officers' helmet plate the lamb was in silver, upon a ground of scarlet velvet, with a lower scroll inscribed "The Royal West Surrey Regiment"; from 1911 an additional scroll was added, below the crown on the helmet plate, inscribed "The Queen's". The cap badge consisted of the Paschal Lamb in brass, upon a white metal scroll inscribed "The Queen's"; at this stage, as before, the lamb carried its flag over its left shoulder, and the flag was in the form of a swallow-tailed guidon, although the lamb on the other ranks' helmet plate centre carried the flag over the right shoulder. The collar badge was similar, initially with the lamb upon a tablet inscribed "Queen's", and then upon a white metal scroll as for the cap badge.

 

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