THE BADGES OF THE REGIMENT.

[Reprinted from "The Celer et Audax Gazette" published by the 3rd Battalion, Vol. I, No.2, Fort Napier, 1st July, 1880.]

PROBABLY the first badge which was worn by “The Royal Americans” was “The White Horse of Hanover,” with the motto, “Nec aspera terrent,” but we do not intend giving a description of any which, like this one, was common, at any rate to the grenadier companies of all infantry regiments. The earliest distinctive badge was that on the colours, and consisted of the Royal Cypher within the Garter, surmounted by a crown. This was given to the Regiment on its formation, and only fell into disuse when colours ceased to be carried. It was also worn in gilt as a chaco plate at the beginning of the present century. The only other badges worthy of note worn with the red coat, were the breastplate, which was of gilt metal engraved with the Royal Cypher and the number of the regiment within a wreath, and a gorget of the ordinary pattern. The lace worn on the red coat was silver with two blue stripes.

On the formation of the 5th (Rifle) Battalion in 1797, the bugle was introduced - we do not know if it had previously been used by the Light Companies - and worn in silver at the base of the plume-socket of the cap, which was of black leather with bearskin top, of a pattern similar to that worn by Light Dragoons of the period. This badge was worn on the different head-dresses which were issued up to the time of the adoption of the Hungarian costume; but was discontinued on the introduction of the big-topped chaco with cock’s-tail plume, which was very heavily trimmed with braid. The bugle was also worn embroidered in gold on the skirts of the green jackets of the Light Infantry Battalion. A silver bugle has always been worn on the pouch, and has lately been authorised also for the sabretaches of themounted officers.

Now, with regard to the principal badge worn by the Regiment, the Maltese Cross, - Captain Wallace, in his Regimental Chronicle, says, “It is difficult to discover the origin of the Maltese Cross as a Regimental badge, but it probably was first adopted about 1797, when a 5th Battalion was added to the Regiment, composed principally of ‘Hompesch’s Mounted Riflemen.’ As each Battalion successively became a Rifle Battalion it was ordered to be equipped on the model of the 5th Battalion, and it is therefore natural that they should have adopted the badge which Hompesch’s Battalion had in use at the time of its incorporation with the 5th Battalion. This theory is plausibly suggested in Notes and Queries, July 14th, 1870, by the writer who signs himself H. A. St. J. M., where he says, ‘I suggest that Hompesch, who was a Bavarian, adopted the badge of the Maltese Cross either from the war medal then given to the Bavarian soldiers, or else because he was a relation to Ferdinand de Hompesch, Knight of Malta, who in 1797 became Grand Master of the Order.’” In another number of the same Magazine, the writer says that the Cross having been adopted by one Rifle Regiment, was probably copied by the other, and this seems certain, because the Cross worn by the Rifle Brigade is almost similar - except that the crown is Imperial instead of Royal - to the first pattern used by the 60th. When the wreath was discontinued by the latter, or why it was discontinued, we know not, but it appears on .....