Description
Physical description
White metal cap badge depicting St Andrew on ground with his saltire cross at the centre of a wreath of thistles, the top arms of which join the top arms of the cross. At the base of the wreath is a scroll bearing the title 'CAMERON'. Pair of lugs to reverse.
History note
The Regiment first acquired the title "Cameron Highlanders" in 1806 when the sub-title was added to the name of the 79th of Foot. In 1873 Queen Victoria presented new colours to the Regiment and directed that they should in future be known as "the Queen's Own". The Regiment was duly re-designated as 79th Foot (Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders). In the Cardwell/Childers reforms of 1881 the Regiment avoided amalgamation so kept its name and the principal element of its badge.
There were two styles of badge, the central element being the figure of St. Andrew standing on ground with his saltire cross, taken from the Order of the Thistle. One version had an open-topped wreath of well-defined thistles rising to two thirds of the height of the badge, and it seems that this was the version worn pre-1881 in conjunction with the Regimental number 79, which was carried as a separate element below. The second style of the badge, apparently worn concurrently, had the same St. Andrew design but the wreath was closed-topped, the ends curving inwards to attach to the top arms of the cross. This is the pattern of badge most often seen.
One leading authority states that in 1900 a scroll was added to the bottom of the wreath, bearing CAMERON and that a sealed pattern for this design exists dated 1897. He also says, however, that a Regimental account gives the badge as first being issued in 1912. The brass "economy" pattern issued during the First World War was apparently struck from the old die and therefore had no scroll. There is some evidence that the badge with no scroll was prized by the Regiment and that it continued in wear by at least a few until the Regiment's demise.
Where a backing was worn to the cap badge, certainly during WW2, it was a square of Cameron of Erracht tartan. This was a tartan devised specifically for the Regiment shortly after its formation, this being the only such tartan in the Army.
In February 1961 the Regiment amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders to become the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Cameron). It became part of the Highland Brigade and was required to wear the Brigade badge.