1st Goorkha Rifles Silver badges by Bent and Parker. Help needed.

[emties]

Howzit guys,
Managed to buy the following two bages today, and couldn't find any reference to them. This is not realy in my collecting field, so might not have the neccesary books. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The first badge is for the 1st Goorkha Rifles. Badge has battle honours for Bhurtpore, Aliwal, Sobraon and Afganistan. The badge has makers marks for Bent & Parker and is hallmarked for Birmingham 1876?
Badge has two screw posts on reverse.

The second bage is for the 1st Goorkha? Only the front star section is hallmarked. Bent & Parker Birmingham 1894.
Badge has two Silver luggs on the reverse.

I am a it confused by the date of the hallmark and the George crown?
I assume these badges would be from the cross belt?

Any info greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Tinus

[Gurkha]

Fantastic badges and very scarce. Top one is 1st Gurkha rifles pouch badge worn 1891-1901. Bottom one is the officers helmet badge for the first battalion worn 1891-1906. Put together with your next post a very nice run. I think one of the top ones in this post sold recently for about 1 K at Bosleys'

That crown is right but was very similer to post 1901 crown, I dont know why they adopted that style.

thanks for showing them and making me very envious.

Regards Steve

[gurkharifles]

Like Steve I'm deeply jealous - if you tell me you got them off e-bay I shall start cutting myself again! Do we have another Gurkha collector amongst us?
Regards Tim

[emties]

Howzit Steve and Tim,

All I can say is WoW!!!
Tim, put those blades away, the Bay is not guilty this time round.
A friend of mine came round today with the badges. I had, and I must repeat, had, two blackpowder rifles he just had to have, and so a deal was struck. Now don't get me wrong, I love my guns, but my gutt was just shouting for the badges. What was quite interesting was the medal display box the badges arrived in. You can see the group was in there for a long time as the sun has realy faded the backing quite badly. Time to work on that next... I am more into collecting the medal side of things, but if the oppertunity arises, we try to keep as many of the bits together.

I must admit that after searching on the net for a while, I was starting to get a bit frustrated not finding any reference to the badges, but just goes to show how great the forum works.

Thanks again for your repies, will keep you updated if any other bits turn up. He has promised to bring me the photo album that came with the badges, if it is of interest to eiter of you, I can send trough coppies when it arrives. Might help place some of the badges and uniforms of the time period?

Thanks again and all the best in collecting.

Regards,
Tinus

The last piece also came with the badges.

[gurkharifles]

I have no medals to tempt you but am willing to give you my first born son?
Seriously it would be great to know who the officer was that wore these insignia, and I think the Gurkha Museum in Winchester would be particularly interested in one of the badges, as Steve indicated, it's not listed in their comprehensive book "Insignia of the 1st Gurkha Rifles" - it's clearly genuine, and as John Chapple says in the frontispiece "No work of this nature can ever guarantee to be complete but all known pieces at the time of publication have been recorded. The Curator of the Gurkha Museum would welcome any additional information"
Cheers Tim

[Gurkha]

The Lions head boss with chains to the whistle was worn on the cross belt as well, the boss above the cross belt badge and the whistle below. Regarding the badge I asked the size about, I did consider it may have been the centre of a helmet badge, but given the size I believe it is the previously unknown unrecorded first pattern pouch badge. That would make sense as you have the rest of the fittings. I may be wrong tho' its only my opinion. It certainly is unknown.
As a 'Rifle' regt the officers wore a black leather crossbelt, with the whistle and chain, crossbelt badge on the front. At the rear was a small leather case (pouch) on this was also mounted a badge.

A very very good trade, I was going to offer both my kidney's !!!
Well done.
regards
Steve