7th or 8th Gurkha boss badge?

[gurkharifles]

I thought I'd share a recent acquisition with you. I'm very happy with it but it was listed as 7th Gurkhas (understandably) and I think it's more likely to be the 2nd Battalion 8th Gurkhas who for a brief period of time 1903>1907, were listed as the 7th and wore a badge with the 7 over the intersection of the blades, there are OR's examples listed in the Gurkha museums booklet on the insignia of the 8th - although there is no mention of an officers boss badge? Would appreciate Steve's view on this.

[Wmr-RHB]

I am no badge expert at all, but the information I have gathered confirms that this could be the badge of the 7th Gurkha Rifles (1903-1907) that was the former 43rd Gurkha Rifles and that became 2nd Bn, 8th Gurkha Rifles.

The later (from 1907) 7th Gurkha Rifles (former 2nd Bn, 10th Gurkha Rifles and before 1903 2nd Bn, 8th Gurkha Rifles) had the badge with the sharp edges inward.

I stand to be corrected.

[Gurkha]

Hi GR well as you know its not the 7th GR, I have to be honest I'm not sure, it could be a officer's FS cap from the 'old' 7th 03-07. It looks the same as the officers collars and forage cap badge and mention is made of the 43 wearing a boss with a 'silver badge on it' and presumably the old 7th would have carried this on. The cording of the boss however looks a bit modern, and the boss appears to show a lack of polishing.

The other possibility is that it is the 7th Batt Assam Rifles. Examples exsist of the other Battalions of the A.R wearing the crossed 'K's of this style with the battalion number above. The 2nd and 6th are good examples. If it is the 7th A.R then they were not formed I believe till 1950. The cording of the boss looks very much like that period.

Is it a screw post or copper wire fixing?

Hope we find out for certain.

Regards
Steve

[Wmr-RHB]

I like your thinking of the Assam Rifles.

But the Assam Rifles badges I have seen all have a scroll below the kukris.. I am not sure that is ruling out badges without. I remember one badge without any number, a badge with a 10 resting on the scroll between the hands and a badge with 17 resting above and an 18 the same as the 17. But all have the scroll.

[gurkharifles]

It's a screw posting and I think the boss itself may well be a replacement.

[Gurkha]

Henk,
I only have a small knowledge of the Assam Rifles but the officers boss to the 6th I have seen has no scroll and apart from the number '6' is the same.

Kind regards

Steve

[Wmr-RHB]

Steve,

The badges I described I don't even have an idea about their size. I only have seen pictures of them. It is very well possible (and likely) that officers boss badges are different and as you describe. The ones I saw are most probably modern IA and used for beret and or the slouch hat.

Kind regards,