Border / 34th Regiment Order of the Bath badge elements (forum archive)

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 Posted by plbramham » Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:17 am
plbramham
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Posts: 1369
Obviously the Border Regt. badge incorporates elements of one of its predecessors, the 34th Regiment of Foot badge, but has anyone noticed that this includes the 34th’s use of the Grand Cross of The Order of the Bath (Military), it's wreath and four lions passant between the arms of the cross? I do seem to remember reading somewhere in the past that the 34th incorporated these components from the Order, but I cannot remember the date or reason why – anyone know?

I believe the middle picture may be some sort of early 34th badge as it has the design of the Order, but bears the 34th Regt.'s Peninsular War battle honours. It also has the Order’s three Hanover crowns in the centre where the “34” may (later?) have appeared. It does not have the lions.

The bottom picture is the 1874-81 other ranks shako badge, clearly showing the cross, wreath and lions. Any ideas/comments anyone?
Paul

 Posted by plbramham » Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:01 pm
plbramham
General
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Posts: 1369
I’ve had a reply identifying the centre mystery badge via “Medal News” magazine from Philip Haythornthwaite who writes:
It is easy to mistake this badge as belonging to the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment – later 1st Btn Border Regiment, as the battle honours are those carried by the 34th prior to their unique honour “Arroyo dos Molinos” in May 1845, and the regiment did use a badge based upon the star of The Order of the Bath; but the 34th did not use the three crowns device in the centre of the star, nor the motto “Ich Dien”. The badge is usually associated with the one other regiment with the same honours, the 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment, later the 1st Btn Middlesex Regiment.
The badge is identical in design to the mount carried on the officers’ shoulder belt plate from about 1840 to 1855, though that mount was gilt (carried on a silver star, upon a gilt backing plate) and usually had enamel details. Although this is admittedly a restrike, it is not necessarily a case of copying the belt plate mount to produce a badge that may not have existed at the time; unofficial items were sometimes produced for such things as musicians pouches or for mess waiter and servants, and a cast , silvered version of this badge is recorded, with four loop fittings, conceivably for such a purpose.
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