4/8th Gurkha Rifles Badge

[gurkharifles]

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.

[Piffer]

Nice badge and rare.

[Jack8]

Good find Tim, nice badge.

[peter monahan]

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

[Khyber]

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..