Description
Physical description
A Maltese cross on which a circlet inscribed THE RIFLE BRIGADE, enclosing a strung bugle surmounted by an Imperial (King's) crown. The cross in enclosed by a laurel wreath entwined with seven scrolls on each side with two more below the bottom arm of the cross, all inscribed with battle honours. Battle honours are also inscribed on each arm of the cross. Above the top arm of the cross and joining the ends of the wreath is a tablet embossed WATERLOO, itself surmounted by an Imperial (King's) crown. Below the bottom arm of the cross is a scroll embossed PRINCE CONSORT'S OWN. A slider on the reverse.
History note
Badge of pattern worn 1937 to 1956.
The predecessor Regiment was raised in 1800 as The Experimental Corps of Riflemen, also known as the Rifle Corps or Manningham's Sharpshooters, after Colonel Coote Manningham who had raised the unit. The Regiment's personnel were recruited from across the Army and their weapon was the Baker Rifle.
As its name suggests, this was an experimental body that aimed to develop skirmish and scouting tactics, allied with highly accurate shooting skills where individual targets were selected rather than relying on mass volley fire. Such a skill-set had been identified as desirable following experience in North America. In 1803 the Regiment joined the 43rd and 52nd Regiments, recently designated as light infantry, at Shorncliffe and trained in appropriate tactics under their own Colonel and under Sir John Moore of Light Infantry fame.
In 1803 the unit was re-designated 95th Regiment of Foot, and again in 1812 as 95th Regiment of Foot (Riflemen). By 1816 the Regiment had grown to three battalions and it became a Brigade, specifically The Rifle Brigade, discarding its Regimental number. In 1862 the name was changed to The Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade, commemorating the fact that he had been the Regiment's Colonel for nine years at the time of his death the previous year. Thereafter there were numerous minor changes to the name, for reasons that are obscure, largely to do with the use or otherwise of the definite article in the title. In 1868 the Regiment became Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) and in July 1881 (although not affected by the Cardwell/Childers reforms of that year) the name changed to Prince Consort's Own (Rifle Brigade). In 1882 it changed to The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) and in 1920 it settled on Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).
The badge had a similarly disturbed history. The first version of the cap badge seems to have been adopted around 1868, the principal element being a Maltese Cross with a central circlet bearing the Regiment's name, in the centre of which was a crowned bugle. The cross was surrounded by a laurel wreath, with a crown above all. Battle honours from the Peninsula War were embossed on the arms of the cross and other honours on scrolls in various positions. The details of how these elements were displayed, however, changed over time.
The crown at the top of the badge was originally a Guelphic crown, this being the design of crown forming part of the Royal Guelphic Order, instituted in 1815 by the Prince Regent but from 1837 becoming a Hanoverian Order. Its connection with the Regiment is said to originate with the fact that the Duke of Wellington, Colonel of the Regiment from 1820 to 1852, had been admitted to the Guelphic Order in 1816. This crown became a badge of the Regiment in 1820 and was later adopted into the cap badge. The Guelphic crown has also become associated with the Prince Consort, and with British Regiments considered the "Prince Consort's Own". Between 1903 and 1956 the crown changed to an Imperial (King's) crown before reverting very briefly to the Guelphic pattern.
The laurel wreath of the badge up to 1910 carried two scrolls on each side, bearing battle honours from the Crimea. After 1910 fourteen such scrolls were carried. In 1937 the number of scrolls remained the same but with some changes to the honours named.
1937 saw other changes. Two First World War honours displaced the honour PENINSULA that had hitherto been carried at the foot of the cross, the latter being transferred to the top arm of the cross. A new scroll was added to the foot of the badge, carrying PRINCE CONSORT'S OWN, and the name of the Regiment carried on the circlet at the centre of the cross became THE RIFLE BRIGADE rather than just RIFLE BRIGADE as hitherto.
The final changes came in 1956 when, in addition to the re-adoption of the Guelphic crown at the top of the badge, all battle honour scrolls were removed from the laurel wreath and the Regimental name on the central circlet reverted to RIFLE BRIGADE. A Naval crown superscribed "COPENHAGEN 2 April 1801" was added below the cross, commemorating the services of the Regiment aboard the fleet at that battle.
In 1958 the Regiment became part of the Green Jacket Brigade and adopted the Brigade badge. Though the brigade wore a Greenjackets shoulder flash, each individual unit wore its own epaulette badge, the Rifle Brigade with a black RB, the 2nd a KRRC, and the 1st wore a 43/52. Each regiment kept its own coloured NCO's stripes and marksmanship badges.
In 1966 the Brigade became the Royal Green Jackets Regiment, the Rifle Brigade becoming "3rd Battalion The Royal Green Jackets (The Rifle Brigade)". In 1968 the Rifle Brigade reference was dropped. In 1992 they became 2nd Battalion with the disbandment of 1st Battalion, the old Ox & Bucks.
In 2007 a new regiment, The Rifles, was formed from former units of the Light Infantry, Green Jacket and Wessex Brigades. The 2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets became 4th Battalion The Rifles.
Inscription
RIFLE BRIGADE
WATERLOO