Description
Physical description
Brass cap badge of a muzzle-loading gun on ground facing left, a rammer resting against the wheel, above is a scroll bearing UBIQUE (Everywhere), resting on which an Imperial (King's) crown. Below all an elaborate scroll bearing QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Where Fate and glory lead). Superimposed between the bottom of the gun wheel nd the top of the lower scroll a letter"M" in white metal. Remnants of a pair of lugs are on the reverse.
History note
Other ranks' badge worn 1902 - 1908 on the forage cap by Militia Artillery units.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery was formed in 1722 and until 1833 the Royal Cypher or Ordnance Arms were used in badges. In 1832 a badge was granted comprising the Royal Arms, a cannon and, to the Regular artillery only, two mottoes. This was brought into use by a General Order in 1833. (The same two mottoes were Gazetted at the same time to the Royal Engineers – London Gazette, 10 July 1832).
The pattern of the Royal Arms differed in detail over time but invariably included the quartered shield within the Garter belt and motto, a crown and lion above, the Lion and Unicorn supporters, a scroll bearing DIEU ET MON DROIT below. Below the latter was a cannon, a muzzle-loading field gun on ground, with a rammer propped against one wheel, and the two mottoes. Above the gun was a scroll bearing UBIQUE (Everywhere) and below it the second scroll bearing QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Where fate and glory lead). The motto "Ubique" took the place of all battle honours. There was a minor change to the pattern of the gun in 1871 to reflect the taking into service of the 9pdr. Field gun.
This "Royal Arms and Gun badge" survived a number of re-organizations and remained in use until 1902 when the gun and two scrolls, with a (King's) crown added above the top scroll, became a headdress badge in its own right, the "gun badge". In officers' versions of this badge the gun wheel usually rotated.
The "gun badge" remained unaffected when, in 1924, the Garrison, Royal and Royal Field Artillery groups were united as a single Corps of Artillery. The Royal Horse Artillery retained a separate identity within the Royal Regiment of Artillery and in 1935-6 adopted an alternative badge for the field service and later for the general service cap (beret-style), otherwise wearing the gun badge.
When in 1883 the field service cap was taken into wear the "Royal Arms and Gun" badge was found too large and heavy for this headgear and from about 1890 the collar badge of a fused grenade, with no scroll below, was taken into use in its place. The cap was taken out of service in 1902 but re-introduced in 1939. Presumably taking the 1883 use of the fused grenade for this type of headgear as a precedent, grenade collar badges, with the "Ubique" scroll below, was taken into use for this cap from 1939 to 1943. When the general service cap (beret-style) was introduced in 1943 the gun badge was worn. After the Second World War, from around 1948, a smaller version of the gun badge was introduced for the beret.
The gun badge remains in use to the present day (2013).
Inscription
UBIQUE
QUO PAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT
Inscription
M