Rifle Regiment / Light Infantry Badge? - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Pretani · #1 25-12-13, 10:35 PM

Anyone have an idea about this one? It has a familiarity that bugs me, but I can't say whether it's down to having seen it in a book, a museum or whether I'm just suffering from déjà vu.

It's very solid, has a good weight to it and has oval loops; of a type I can't say I'm overly familiar with. The dealer had bought it from someone who collected to Irish Regiments and thought it to be an Armagh Light Infantry badge.

There's a similarity to the Queen's County Rifles design, save for the lack of a scroll and there being no sign it was ever blackened.

Hussar100 · #2 28-12-13, 08:09 AM

Looks like the LI to me. Compare here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Light_Infantry

Pretani · #3 29-12-13, 11:24 PM

Cheers for that.

The thing that's throwing me at present is the crown; that's what's flummoxing me over which LI or Rifle Regiment it is.

It looks to me like the design the Rifles have adopted, but a hundred years or so too early......

Hussar100 · #4 30-12-13, 07:07 AM

It looks like LI to me. The Rifles do use this badge for at least one battalion but they also use another design for a different battalion. They have definitely got at least two badges in use referring to different traditions from the LI/RGJ history.

fougasse1940 · #5 30-12-13, 11:41 AM

You are both aware this is a Victorian queens crown, last used in 1901?

Rgds, Thomas.

Peter Brydon · #6 30-12-13, 12:35 PM

I would suggest a Rifle Volunteer pouch badge.

P.B.

Pretani · #7 30-12-13, 01:45 PM

Peter,

Many Thanks. A pouch badge would explain the combination of size and lack of other identifying marks.

Thomas,

I'd picked up on the QVC, which was why I'd gone in the direction of Armagh Light Infantry or Queen's County initially. The latter is the only design wherein I've ever seen the combination of both bugle horn knot and crown.

Mike

mule-73k · #8 30-12-13, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pretani

Peter,

Many Thanks. A pouch badge would explain the combination of size and lack of other identifying marks.

Thomas,

I'd picked up on the QVC, which was why I'd gone in the direction of Armagh Light Infantry or Queen's County initially. The latter is the only design wherein I've ever seen the combination of both bugle horn knot and crown.

Mike

Mike,

It's not the Armagh Light Infantry, wrong shape of bugle for them. I would think maybe Rifles Volunteers pouch badge as Peter said is your best option.

Dave

Hussar100 · #9 30-12-13, 07:35 PM

The badge is still in use by the Rifles, that's for sure. So it's an LI badge. The bugle knots are a key however. There is a difference in the number of them between the two different badges I've already described and they are worn by different battalions of the Rifles today.

Peter Brydon · #10 30-12-13, 08:04 PM

The bugle horn has been used by Rifle Regiments/battalions as well as Light Infantry Regiments for many, many years but the combination of the Victorian crown and bugle horn suggests ( in my humble opinion ) that it is a Rifle Volunteers pouch badge.

P.B.

Peter Brydon · #11 30-12-13, 08:18 PM

Similar ( but not identical ) badge in a series of articles on badges of the KSLI in the Military Historical Society Bulletins, this one August 1967:

No 10 Officers Pouch plate 1st V.B. KSLI 1888-1898.

P.B.

Peter Brydon · #12 31-12-13, 10:46 AM

Also similar to the badge on a Bridport ( Dorsetshire ) Rifle Volunteer shako plate see Bosleys catalogue for the public auction on 14/3/2001 lot 962.

P.B.

Hussar100 · #13 31-12-13, 12:28 PM

With regards to the OP images I'd say you're looking at a badge of the Queen's County Rifles. Here's a comparison. http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225...xNDaJxAejQ.jpg

I'll make a post on arrse.co.uk to see what answers I get regarding my contention for the modern badges. Not that they're important for this thread, I just want to see if my memory has failed me or not.

oc14 · #14 31-12-13, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hussar100

It looks like LI to me. The Rifles do use this badge for at least one battalion but they also use another design for a different battalion. They have definitely got at least two badges in use referring to different traditions from the LI/RGJ history.

I have no knowledge of this and am ex LI - what is your source for this ?

PL

Hussar100 · #15 31-12-13, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oc14

I have no knowledge of this and am ex LI - what is your source for this ?

PL

I'll be honest with you. I'm discussing this over at arrse and it looks as if I was mistaken. There is no evidence to support what I've said so I've obviously confused myself somewhere along the line.

Sorry everyone.