The Regimental Badges

 

The Regimental Badges are a composition of the badges of the forebear regiments.

 

 

The Dragon was awarded to The Buffs, in recognition of their Tudor origin, by Queen Anne, probably in 1707. It was a rare distinction for a Regiment to be honoured like this in those days, and is one of the earliest known Regimental Badges.

 

The surrounding device inscribed with the motto 'Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense' (Shame on him who thinks ill of it), is a garter, as awarded to the Knights of the Order of the Garter. This is England's oldest Order of Chivalry, founded by King Edward III in 1348. The garter is taken from the badge of the Royal Sussex Regiment.

 

The feathers above the Tudor Dragon are the Ostrich plumes worn by The Black Prince at the Battle of Crecy in 1346. The 15th Prince of Wales considered the East Middlesex Regiment to be deserving of his plumes for its exploits in India. The award was given the King's approval in 1810 and was subsequently included in the badge of the Middlesex Regiment.

               

Collar Badge

The White Horse is ascribed by tradition to Horsa the Saxon and was the main badge of the Queen’s Own West Kent Regiment and later the Queen’s Own Buffs.

The remainder of this badge is inherited from the Royal Sussex Regiment, whose badge had the Garter Cross in the centre in place of the White Horse. The plume commemorates the defeat by the 35th Foot of the Royal Roussillion Regiment of France at the battle of Quebec in 1759.

 

Button Badge

The Pascal Lamb is the oldest of all Regimental badges. It is known to have been worn by the Queen’s before 1685 and may have been adopted as the Christian emblem in the fight against the Moors in Tangier. The remainder of this badge is inherited from the East Surrey Regiment and, with the Pascal Lamb, was the cap badge of the Queen’s Royal Surrey Regiment. The star is that of the Order of the Garter.

 

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