4/8th Gurkha Rifles Badge
 

Delighted to have just acquired this badge - one I'd never seen before. Apparently, it was worn by the Commandant's stick orderly of the 4/8GR battalion - awarded to the smartest rifleman in the battalion - who would then stand guard outside of the commandant's office. It's rare that a Gurkha badge has a distinguishing battalion number - and as far as I know only 2 of these survive. It's marked silver and made by Barton's.

Nice badge and rare.

Good find Tim, nice badge.

And clearly 'worn with pride' from years of polishing. Very nice.

Nice badge Tim,
I don't collect Gurkha badges but would surely have liked to have this one -- also because I have a lot of badges, medals and spoons by Barton. They are usually very well made.

Their showroom in Bangalore has lots of lovely modern silver stuff but no badges/medals. I asked the proprietor if he had any stocks from the old pre-Independence days tucked away somewhere but they have nothing. I wonder what happened to the original dies..