Description
Physical description
A fused grenade on the ball of which is a circlet inscribed 'Royal Welsh Fusiliers' within which are the Prince of Wales's plumes with coronet and motto scroll (Ich Dien). All gilding metal. Slider to reverse.
History note
Cap badge of the type worn 1898 to 1920.
The predecessor Regiment was raised at Ludlow in March 1689 for service in Ireland against supporters of James II resisting the accession of William III. Known as Lord Herbert's Regiment of Foot, it was raised by Henry, Lord Herbert of Chirbury (or Cherbury). By 1702 the Regiment had become the Welch Regiment of Fuzileers, or Fuziliers, one of the earliest regiments to be given a "fusilier" title.
In 1713 the Regiment gained the "Royal" prefix for its service in the early stages of the War of the Spanish Succession, 1701 – 1714, and in 1714 it was re-designated The Prince of Wales's Own Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In 1747 it was ranked as 23rd of Foot and became formally known as the 23rd (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot from 1751.
It is not clear when the Regiment first adopted the fused (flaming) grenade badge common to all fusilier regiments but one was certainly in use from 1874, bearing the figure 23 on the ball of the grenade.
The Regiment escaped the need to amalgamate during the Cardwell/Childers reforms of 1881, a 2nd Battalion having been raised in 1857 at Newport, Monmouthshire. The reforms did attract a change of name, to The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and of badge, the regimental number on the grenade being dropped in favour of the Prince of Wales's feather, coronet and motto scroll.
The 1898 change of headdress in the Army occasioned a further change of badge, the Prince of Wales's device being surrounded by a circlet bearing the Regimental title, and the flames of the grenade adopting a unique form with two tiers of flame.
In 1920, as a result of a petition to the War Office by the Welsh Regiment, permission was granted for both Regiments to revert to the older spelling of "Welch", the badge being changed accordingly.
In 1958 the Regiment became part of the Welsh Brigade, the regular battalions being expected to wear the Brigade badge. When the Brigade was broken up in 1969 the Regiment reverted to its old badge.
In 2006 the Regiment become a battalion of the newly created The Royal Welsh, adopting that Regiment's badge.
NB: A white hackle was worn behind the cap badge, date and reason for adoption unknown.
(obverse) embossed
(obverse) ICH DIEN ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS