WWII (?) Rajputana Rifles cap badge

[loupie1961]

A recent addition: a Rajputana Rifles KC cap badge, blackened bronze, with a red cloth backing and a brooch type pin and clasp instead of the usual loops: any hints? what your advise? During WWII, would be the designation of this regiment 6th Rajputana Rifles and would it be some how reflected on the cap badge? Thank you and all the vest!

[Wmr-RHB]

6th Rajputana Rifles from 1922 to 1945. Thereafter The Rajputana Rifles. Now in the Indian Army.
Cap badge used from 1922 to 1950 (Republic of India).

But the crown looks more like an imperial one then a KC. I am sure that the KC was used. Do not know about this crown. But more knowledgable people then I am, will tune in I guess.

[Lampwick]

Originally Posted by Wmr-RHB

6th Rajputana Rifles from 1922 to 1945. Thereafter The Rajputana Rifles. Now in the Indian Army.
Cap badge used from 1922 to 1950 (Republic of India).

But the crown looks more like an imperial one then a KC. I am sure that the KC was used. Do not know about this crown. But more knowledgable people then I am, will tune in I guess.

Henk. There aren't many that know as much as you about these badges, never mind more knowledgable!!

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by Lampwick

Henk. There aren't many that know as much as you about these badges, never mind more knowledgable!!

I am flattered , but I think this is a bit unjustified. I know (read and found out and have written down in tables that are easy to search through for me) some details about the regimental lineages. And, to illustrate those tables, I searched for pictures of badges belonging to the different titles in different areas.

Thus I can see when a picture deviates from what I found (like the crown here). but that does not make me an expert in whatever form on the badges and/or fakes like a lot of people here.

And do not forget that I learned a lot on the thread about the 4th Bombay Grenadiers from those here that I point to as having more knowledge. (And I take the point that "knowledgable" is at least an ugly way to express myself , it most probably isn't English at all)

[revdougal]

This looks to me as 6th Rajputana Rifles, with a pagri pin.
The 1st Bn tended to wear this badge with an Imperial Crown, making it look from the late Victorian era (indeed some badge dealers "trade" on this), and the other Bns used a KC.

[Wmr-RHB]

And see Lampwick, this is what I mean. More knowlegde above to enjoy us.

Again one of those "special to battalion" cases. The 1st Bn had the additional title (Wellesley's).

They were the 104th Wellesley's Rifles from 1903 - 1922.
And the badge picture I have shows a KC. Thus I do not know if they preferred the imperial crown during this time already.

[Voltigeur]

Originally Posted by loupie1961

A recent addition: a Rajputana Rifles KC cap badge, blackened bronze, with a red cloth backing and a brooch type pin and clasp instead of the usual loops: any hints? what your advise? During WWII, would be the designation of this regiment 6th Rajputana Rifles and would it be some how reflected on the cap badge? Thank you and all the vest!

Hopefully, you will be able to access this photograph.
Jo
Click on the photo to enlarge.
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/8c3b3cbbc4f8ccb7_large

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by Voltigeur

Hopefully, you will be able to access this photograph.
Jo
Click on the photo to enlarge.
http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/8c3b3cbbc4f8ccb7_large

thank you Voltigeur... definitively the same (paghri) badge!

[loupie1961]

Originally Posted by revdougal

This looks to me as 6th Rajputana Rifles, with a pagri pin.
The 1st Bn tended to wear this badge with an Imperial Crown, making it look from the late Victorian era (indeed some badge dealers "trade" on this), and the other Bns used a KC.

thank you revdougal, I had no idea that tha Imperial Crown could be used as a battalion distinction.... and I am so much happier, now that I know it, inasmuch as the focus of my collection is on formations hat have fought on the Italian front in 1943-1945!

[ANGLE IRON]

Revdougal is spot on. Some sources say that the battalion retained the Imperial crown, I have also read that it was officers of the battalion that did so. Personally I think all ranks . and yes it is often passed as a Victorian badge.
my example is not blackened and is on a slider. I have not yet picked up the Kings crown version which is more common. Kevin

[peter monahan]

Well done, that man! I thought I knew a little about the Indian stuff too, but now I'll have one more morsel to work with "Imperial or Victorian"?

[ANGLE IRON]

Peter this one came this week , die struck unusualy, pin to rear just like yours,
I wondered if the red backing was battalion specific but it seems not
regards Kevin

[peter monahan]

A couple on sale on ebay, some of which appear to show the 'Imperial' / Victorian crown and others seem to be just bad castings of a King's Crown, so certainly some room for confusion. Also very typical of the IA that one battalion would retain a distinction for years or even decades in the face of all regs. to the contrary. When you buy the stuff yourself, often locally, its far easier to get what you want, not what some office wallah in the capital says you should have!

I remember reading years ago that when the British Army renumbered some regiments in the 1700s, one Scottish colonel had a drummer have each man pluck a slip of paper with the new number on it from his cap. The colonel followed the drummer with a loaded and cocked pistol! Sounds like exactly the sort of thing that Piffer units like the 1st RRs would understand - from the private soldiers view point, that is!

Peter