Description
Physical description
A cap badge for the Leicestershire Regiment of the Royal Tiger on ground with scroll below inscribed "LEICESTERSHIRE" and scroll above inscribed "HINDOOSTAN". Tiger in gilding metal, scrolls in white metal.
History note
Badge of pattern worn 1898 to 1946.
The predecessor Regiment was raised in 1688 in London by Colonel Solomon Richards as part of the effort to ensure the accession of William III. In 1747 the Regiment was ranked as 17th of Foot and formally designated by that number from 1751. In 1782 the Regiment was re-designated 17th Foot (The Leicestershire).
In 1804 the Regiment departed for India, where it stayed until 1823, fighting in many of the more remote areas of the sub-continent. Its record was such that, in 1825, it was granted the "Royal Tiger" badge, superscribed "Hindoostan", to honour its achievements.
The Regiment escaped the need to merge with any other unit as part of the 1881 Cardwell reforms by virtue of having formed a permanent second battalion in 1858. Its title changed at this time to The Leicestershire Regiment, and the Royal Tiger became the defining symbol on its badge. This, with a scroll bearing LEICESTERSHIRE, became the sole element of the badge from 1898.
The Regiment gained the "Royal" prefix in 1946, with an appropriate change of badge.
In 1958 the Regiment became part of the Midland Brigade, which was quickly re-named the Foresters Brigade, the regular battalions being expected to wear the Brigade badge. The Brigade was broken up in 1963 and in May that year the Regiment was transferred to the East Anglian Brigade, becoming 4th Battalion East Anglian Regiment (Leicestershire), East Anglian Brigade. The East Anglian Brigade became the Royal Anglian Regiment in September 1964, the Royal Leicester Regiment becoming the new Regiment's 4th Battalion, carrying its sub-title with it. The Leicester subtitle was dropped in 1968.
The 4th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment, and so the Leicestershire Regiment, was disbanded in 1975.
(obverse) embossed
(obverse) HINDOOSTAN LEICESTERSHIRE