Description
Physical description
bi-metal badge incorporating the Castle and Key of Gibraltar within a laurel-wreath. Above and below the Castle are blank scrolls. On the base of the wreath is a scroll inscribed 'NORTHAMPTONSHIRE'. All in white-metal except the title-scroll which is in brass.
History note
Badge of pattern worn 1898 to 1960, other than the blank scrolls.
The predecessor Regiment was raised in 1741 as James Cholmondeley's Regiment of Foot. It was known by a series of colonels' names until 1747, when it was ranked as 59th Regiment of Foot. In 1751 the Regiment was re-designated 48th Regiment of Foot and formally thereafter known by that number. In 1782 it was re-designated 48th Foot (The Northamptonshire).
In the Cardwell/Childers reforms of 1881 the Regiment merged with the 58th Foot (The Rutlandshire) to form The Northamptonshire Regiment, adopting the castle and key of Gibraltar as the key badge element. This device derived from the 58th, awarded in 1836 to that Regiment for its part in the siege of 1779 – 1783. Also included was a scroll with the battle honour of TALAVERA, granted in 1816 to the 48th for its service in the Peninsula, particularly at Talavera, 1809. In 1901 there was a minor change to the design of the castle, possibly as a result of the authorities seeking to standardise the castle design among the various regiments having this as a feature.
The introduction of the forage cap in 1898 resulted in a new form of badge, primarily with the addition of a laurel wreath around the castle. This remained the badge until June 1960 when the Regiment merged with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to become 2nd Battalion (Duchess of Gloucester's Own Royal Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire), The East Anglian Regiment, part of the East Anglian Brigade. In 1964 the Brigade became the Royal Anglian Regiment, the battalion numbers carrying over. The subtitles to the Battalions were dropped in 1968.
The Duchess of Gloucester sub-title was preserved to some extent during the mid 1960s by appending it to the 2nd Company of the 5th (Volunteer) Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment.
Inscription
Northamptonshire