Dates of insignia change ?

[gurkharifles]

I was going to post this in the Indian section as the badge that prompted a the issue was one to the 7 Gurkha Rifles - but I have a broader question on the dates insignia would change as a result of a title change. We can date a Regt's title change to the actual day/month/year because of an the relevant Army Order. But would any changes to the insignia have been designed/approved in anticipation of the change or would they wait until the Army Order was given? I know that there are some badges out there for Regts that were proposed to merge but in the end didn't ( it may well be different for amalgamations - as I'm guessing there's a lot of pre-planning involved including uniform and insignia design ). I started thinking about this when I acquired this pouch belt set to the 7GR. The whistle and chain are hallmarked 1907 and the badge itself 1908. - The 7GR were raised in India by IAO No483 27 Sept 1907 - and this badge is illustrated in the museums book on the insignia - dating it from 1907 to the 1950's. But the book also says that the earliest example seen is hallmarked 1908. - My theory is that if the Regt had to have design's drawn up and samples approved from the UK - then 1908 is probably the earliest the badges would have been produced / worn - and my set would have been from the very first batch produced. Of course my theory goes out of the window if designs were drawn up ahead of the IAO - ( but that might have been presumptuous ? ) Unfortunately the Regimental history has no information of this sort - so I wonder if other collectors can enlighten me as to what has happened in other Regiments? Tim

[Mike H]

Hi Tim,the last Rifle Brigade belt plate which is the same as the last Guelphic crown cap badge appeared in 1956 although the cap badge had been in use from 1953.
The Green Jackets Brigade belt plate appeared in 1964,the examples I've seen have a 1964 HM. First image of the plate is in the Chronicle for 1964.