Description
Physical description
Castle of Gibraltar with key depending from the base, above the castle the Sphinx on a tablet embossed "EGYPT", all except the Sphinx enclosed by an oak wreath, on the lower portion of which a scroll embossed "THE ESSEX REGT". The castle and wreath in gilding metal, the remainder white metal. Slider to reverse.
History note
The Regiment was raised in 1741 as Colonel James Long's Regiment. Thereafter it was know by a number of colonels' names until 1751.
In 1747 the Regiment was ranked as 55th of Foot but in 1748 was re-designated 44th Regiment of Foot. In 1782 it was again re-designated, as the 44th Foot (The East Essex). At this time it carried a badge of the figure 44 within a laurel wreath, above which a sphinx.
In 1881 the Regiment amalgamated with 56th of Foot (The West Essex) to become The Essex Regiment. As such it was one of the few regiments to have a firm connection with its designated County dating from before the Cardwell reforms. The shako plate at that time showed the castle and key of Gibraltar (from the 56th) surmounted by the sphinx (from the 44th) now on a tablet bearing EGYPY, all within a circlet bearing ESSEX.
In 1898 the cap badge adopted kept the castle surmounted by the sphinx as the central motif, flanked by a wreath of oak leaves with a scroll beneath bearing THE ESSEX REGT. It appears that, in common with other regiments having the Gibraltar castle as an emblem, there was some discrepancy to how it was displayed, usually relating to the turrets. The design appears to have been "standardised" after 1901.
In 1958 the Regiment amalgamated with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment to become "3rd Battalion the East Anglian Regiment (16th / 44th Foot)", in the East Anglian Brigade. In 1964 the Royal Anglian Regiment was formed from the Battalions of the Brigade, the numbers and subtitles being carried forward until 1968 when the subtitles were dropped.
3rd Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment was disbanded in 1992.