In an attempt to make sense of the many types of Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment badges, I have managed to identify six core types (or variants) in respect of the other ranks' cap badge (patterns
4681/1898 and
4681A/1916). Each of the six badges identified (shown below) displays a different combination of the following ten, defining characteristics:
1) Loops
2) Slider
3) Bi-metal
4) All-gilding Metal
5) Elliptical Halo
6) Circular Halo
7) Voided Tail Area
8) Voided Foreleg Area
9) Non-voided Tail Area
10) Non-voided Foreleg Area
The six core variants so far identified are:
1) Looped, bi-metal, elliptical halo, non-voided foreleg, non-voided tail
CV 1a.jpgCV 1b.jpg
2) Slidered, bi-metal, elliptical halo, non-voided foreleg, non-voided tail
CV 2a.jpgCV 2b.jpg
3) Slidered, bi-metal, circular halo, voided foreleg, voided tail
CV 3a.jpgCV 3b.jpg
4) Slidered, bi-metal, elliptical halo, non-voided foreleg, voided tail
CV 4a.jpgCV 4b.jpg
5) Slidered, all-gilding metal, elliptical halo, non-voided foreleg, non-voided tail
CV 5a.jpgCV 5b.jpg
6) Slidered, all-gilding metal, elliptical halo, non-voided foreleg, voided tail
CV 6a.jpgCV 6b.jpg
At this stage there seems to be no other existing combinations comprising these ten defining characteristics, though I would be delighted to learn of others to include in this series. Therefore I would like to call on members for their assistance and ask if they might be kind enough to check their collections for variants which display combinations of the ten defining characteristics listed above, but which differ from the existing six core variants already established?
Of course, each of these six variants will in turn have its own sub-group of variants with perhaps such traits as (for example) variations in slider length, makers' marks, absence/presence, shape and number of vent holes, flagstaff type etc. etc. Theoretically, such a list could be divided and sub-divided ad infinitum. This however, will be the next stage in the cataloguing process and an ongoing project leading from the establishment of the main types covered here.
I'd like to thank Wilf/ORASOT for his ID of CV 4, and for furnishing me with accompanying photos of this variant, and Julian/KLR for his provision of pattern numbers.
With thanks,
JT.
NB - Within this research I have sought not to include officers' badges, cadets, grammar school, OTCs, or volunteer battalions of the regiment.