Description
Physical description
Light bronze-coloured plastic badge in the form of the Paschal Lamb bearing a square-ended flag onits right shoulder, standing on an heraldic torse.
History note
Pattern of badge worn after 1921. This particular item is a Second World War period plastic cap badge. Plastic cap badges were first introduced into the British Army during 1941, as a result of metal shortages.The badges proved very unpopular with British Army personnel.
The ultimate predecessor regiment was formed in 1661 at Putney, then in Surrey, so establishing from the outset the county connection. It was raised as the Earl of Peterborough's Regiment of Foot, also known as the Tangier Regiment on the basis that it was raised specifically to garrison that town. On withdrawal to Britain in 1684 it was named the Queen's Regiment of Foot in recognition of its association with Catherine of Braganza, Queen to Charles II, Tangier being part of her dowry. In 1686 "Dowager" was added to the title. In 1703 it was re-named as the Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot, in 1714 it became the Princess of Wales's Regiment of Foot, and in 1727 it was re-designated the Queen's Own Royal Regiment of Foot. In 1747 it was ranked as 2nd Foot (The Queen's Own Royal).
In 1855 the Regiment was again re-designated as 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot, perhaps at this time adopting the lamb and flag emblem on its headdress, wearing it above a circlet bearing QUEEN'S ROYAL surrounding the figure "2". It underwent two minor name changes until in 1881 it became the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), now with the Paschal lamb on ground in the centre of a circlet bearing WEST SURREY.
The Paschal Lamb is said to be the oldest of all regimental badges and its association with the Queens has two possible origins. One account says that the lamb was the symbol of the House of Braganza and was confirmed as the badge of the Regiment in 1751 in recognition of its service in Tangier, a city associated with the House of Braganza (see below). An alternative version suggests it was adopted much earlier as a symbol of the Regiment's employment against the Moors in Tangier.
Note that the flag was supported on the lamb's right shoulder in most versions of the badge, but on the left between 1898 and 1921. Also, the flag had a swallow-tail end until the 1921 change when it became squared.
In 1898 the name remained the same but it adopted a new badge, the lamb above a scroll bearing THE QUEENS.
In 1921 the name changed again, to the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), the badge being simply the lamb on a torse.
In 1958/9 the Regiment amalgamated with the East Surrey Regiment to become the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment and adopting a new badge, a composite of the two amalgamated units. They became part of the Home Counties Brigade, the regular battalions expected to wear the Brigade badge.
In 1966 the amalgamated Regiment again amalgamated, with the three other Regiments of the Home Counties Brigade, to form the Queen's Regiment. In 1992 the Royal Hampshire Regiment was also absorbed into this amalgamation, forming the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshire). The two Battalions of this Regiment represent the merging of all predecessor battalions and Regiments.