Description
Physical description
An eight-pointed Garter star, the topmost point displaced by an Imperial (King's) crown. The crown is resting on a shield bearing the Arms of Guildford (ie: the castle of Guildford with a lion couchant in front of the castle and a woolpack on either side). Below is a scroll inscribed 'East Surrey'. The star and the castle are in white metal, the remainder in gilding metal. Slider to reverse.
History note
Badge of pattern worn 1898 to 1958, save type of crown.
The genealogy of the East Surrey Regiment is unusual in that the identity of the supposedly senior regiment was essentially lost during the 1881 merger.
The senior predecessor Regiment was raised in 1702 as Villier's Regiment of Marines, known until 1714 as 2nd Marines. In 1743 they were ranked 31st of Foot and formally named and known as such from 1751. In 1782 they were re-designated the 31st (The Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, which served as Marines in 1790.
The junior predecessor Regiment was raised in 1756 as 2nd Battalion, 31st of Foot, in 1758 being re-designated 70th (Glasgow Lowland) Regiment of Foot. In 1782 they were re-designated 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot, in 1812 reverting to the 1782 Glasgow title until, in 1825, finally reverting to the Surrey title again.
In 1881 the 31st and 70th merged to become the East Surrey Regiment. The 31st became the 1st Battalion but acceded to the junior 70th the county designation of the Regimental name. The county association was reinforced by the introduction into the badge of a representation of Guildford Castle. The original badge was the Garter Star and arms of Guildford within a broad circlet embossed EAST SURREY. The cap badge introduced in 1898 had the top point of the Garter Star replaced by a crown and a scroll was added between the lower five points, embossed EAST SURREY.
In 1958/9 the Regiment merged with the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) to form the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment. The Regiment became part of the Home Counties Brigade, the constituent regular battalions expected to wear the Brigade badge. In 1966 the Queen's Regiment was formed out of the Brigade regiments, the Queen's Royal Surreys becoming the new Regiment's 1st Battalion.
In 1992 the Royal Hampshire Regiment was merged to create the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires). In 2008 the constituent battalions of this Regiment were merged to produce a two-battalion regiment.
Inscription
East Surrey