Royal Sierra Leone Regiment badges

[gurkharifles]

I've just acquired these two badges which I believe are extremely rare ( poss unique?) - they are both to the Royal Sierra Leone Regiment a unit I can find very little about. I know there was a Royal Sierra Leone Battalion which formed part of the Royal West African Frontier Force - but I believe the "Regiment" may have existed for quite a brief period. Late 40's early 50's ? (any info gratefully received) - Neither badge is featured in Renfrews Colonial Badges - ( they only have examples of the Sierra Leone Police force)
They came from a framed collection of badges from Potters Military instrument makers which hung in the board room of Potters for over 50 years.

[altcar73]

Forgive my saying so but they look quite crude and don't appear to have been finished properly.

Dave.

[Mike Jackson]

I wonder why the elephant featured in the left hand badge? I always thought the lion (as in Sierra Leone/ Lion Mountain) with or without palm tree always featured in Sierra Leone's heraldry. The Sierra Leone Area formation sign and a variant painted on the back of a Stuart Light Tank. Mike
Sierra Leone Area.jpgSierra Leone Area.05.jpg

[gurkharifles]

The elephant and the palm tree is very similar to the design of the police badge featured in Renfrew's - as for the slightly crude finish I quite agree - but they might very well be prototypes ? From the same frame I got a couple of gurkha badges for the 2nd Gurkhas - one I know was rejected by the regt and the other one was adopted. Tim

[zob]

Originally Posted by gurkharifles

I've just acquired these two badges which I believe are extremely rare ( poss unique?) - they are both to the Royal Sierra Leone Regiment a unit I can find very little about. I know there was a Royal Sierra Leone Battalion which formed part of the Royal West African Frontier Force - but I believe the "Regiment" may have existed for quite a brief period. Late 40's early 50's ? (any info gratefully received) - Neither badge is featured in Renfrews Colonial Badges - ( they only have examples of the Sierra Leone Police force)
They came from a framed collection of badges from Potters Military instrument makers which hung in the board room of Potters for over 50 years.

Hi,

From what I understand the Sierra Leone Regiment retained its pre Independence title as an element within the Royal Sierra Leone Military Forces and discarded its “Royal” prefix when the country became a Republic after a coup d’état in 1971. Which gives an approximate period of service for your badges circa, 1960 -1971.

Zob.

[Flatdog]

Gentlemen,

The elephant and palm comes from the Gold Coast Regiment.

Clay

[davidwyke]

Hi Chaps

I would agree that the badges shown are either unfinished or prototypes.

I don't really know anything about Sierra Leone military insignia and Zob has probably provided the answer anyway.

As regards the elephant/palm symbol as on the left badge, Sierra Leone Police wore a series of badges featuring this. some of which date from the same period as the badges in question appear to be.

They wore a helmet or pagri badge with this symbol within a circlet with the force title (in both white metal and brass). Cap badges were KC and then QC over a circlet with the force title, the elephant and palm being in the circlet,(chrome). After independence they wore the same badge but the QC at the top was replaced by a coat of arms (chrome, brass and later anodised).

David

[Chacal]

Originally Posted by davidwyke

As regards the elephant/palm symbol as on the left badge, Sierra Leone Police wore a series of badges featuring this. some of which date from the same period as the badges in question appear to be.

They wore a helmet or pagri badge with this symbol within a circlet with the force title (in both white metal and brass). Cap badges were KC and then QC over a circlet with the force title, the elephant and palm being in the circlet,(chrome).

Morning chaps

Sierra Leone Police head-dress badge for native officers in WM, as per David's post.

Graham

[gurkharifles]

I've been in contact with Barry Renfew and there is a smaller version of the QC badge in blackened brass illustrated in vol 1 of his books on British Colonial Badges - 1961-1971 as well as an even smaller officers version in enamel and gilt. Given my badges size (55mm x 73mm ) and source (Potters) it's possibly a cross belt badge or musicians badge ( did they even have a band? )
As for the other badge he'd never seen one like it.

[davidwyke]

I know I might be stating the obvious here but given where they came from could they not have originally been badges which were intended to be brazed on to musical instruments? You often find regimental badges on the bell (if that's what it's called) of military bugles and trumpets.

Perhaps the lugs were subsequently added so the badges could be framed and displayed?

David

[zob]

Hello again,

The Gold Coast, Gambia, Nigeria, Lagos and Sierra Leone police/military forces all wore a variation of the elephant and palm tree at one time or another. Incidentally, the second badge in the photo (king’s crown) appears to have a Lion and Palm Tree and looks more judicial rather than military.

Zob.