Prince Albert's Somerset LI pagri badge

[jf42]

Greetings- could members help me put an end date on a pagri badge for the above regiment?

Looking at a photo of an officer, presumably 1st Bn, taken in the Punjab circa 1899-1902. He has a Foreign Service helmet in khaki with a pagri that appears to be of a slightly darker shade. The pagri badge is as the C20th cap badge, with the Scroll and Mural Crown over a strung bugle horn but has the number '13' in the triangular void beneath the cords instead of 'P.A.'. How long did the regiment continue to use the number '13' in this way and on what items of headgear? Was it purely for the pagri badge?

Many thanks.

[mooke07]

Hi there,

Although the wearing of regimental numbers was abanded by the Cardwell Reforms of 1881 with county regiments being formed from numbered regiments some numbered badges continued to be worn by different regiments as a way of maintaining historical links and traditions etc. in my Variant Infantry Badge album you will find a couple of PA Somerset Light Infantry numbered badges. They are not all pre-1881 glengarry badges.

Other members will no doubt have more info on pagri badges to the regiment, pagri badges are often variants of the regular field service cap badge, cheers Dean.

[jf42]

Thanks. What I was curious about was how long the numbered version remained in use and also whether it was only worn by officers, whether as pagri badge or as a 'regimental' (i.e. non-regulation) item for other undress headgear.