Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment Collar Badges, Pair

Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment collar badges produced as a facing pair in gilt metal, in the pattern worn between 1994 and 2007 by the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment of the British Army. These British Army infantry collar badges display the recognised regimental insignia in clear relief, each incorporating a Sphinx resting on a tablet inscribed “Egypt” as the principal device, set above a cross pattée. The badges are produced as a left and right-facing pair for wear on the collar of the No. 2 Dress uniform. The composition reflects the heraldic traditions of the regiment and the historic associations of its two predecessor units.

The regiment was formed on 29 April 1994 through the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire). The Sphinx device on the collar badge derives directly from the Gloucestershire Regiment, where it had been borne since 1801 in recognition of the Egyptian campaign, during which the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot fought back-to-back at the Battle of Alexandria — an action that also gave rise to the regiment’s unique distinction of wearing a badge on both the front and the rear of its headdress, a privilege carried forward into the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. The cross pattée incorporated into the collar badge design descends through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment from the Wiltshire Regiment, where it had formed the central device of the badge since the introduction of the forage cap pattern around 1898. The regiment was amalgamated into The Rifles in 2007.

Manufactured in gilt and silver-plated metal, consistent with post-1994 Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment cap badge production, this facing pair provides a well-defined representation of the regimental collar badge pattern. Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment collar badges are collected as examples of late twentieth century British Army infantry militaria, regimental insignia of the West Country and Thames Valley, and uniform hardware of the Options for Change era of the British Army.

Dimensions Approx. 26mm x 26mm (each badge)

Condition Very good