The Dorsetshire Regiment - Badge Variations.

[leigh kitchen]

The Derbyshire Regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of The 39^th Foot & The 54^th Foot.

The original cap badge featured a two-turret castle over a sphinx within a laurel wreath, with name scroll DORSETSHIRE at the top.

Following standardisation of the design of Gibralter Castle as represented on the cap badges of a number of regiments, the Dorsetshire’s badge was altered so that the sphinx was above the castle, which now had three turrets, & the name scroll was at the bottom of the wreath.

In 1951 the title of the regiment was changed to The Dorset Regiment.

The regiment was amalgamated with The Devonshire Regiment on 17/5/58 to form The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, the new regiment joined The Wessex Brigade and adopted the brigade cap badge.

Following the disbandment of the brigade in 1968 a new regimental cap badge featuring elements of the badges of both parent regiments was adopted.

Cap badges worn were:

The bi-metal two turret castle pattern with the castle above the sphinx. Castle & sphinx of white metal, remainder of gilding metal. K&K 650 refers.

In an article "Headdress Badges of The Dorsetshire Regiment" which appeared in the Crown Imperial journal during the 1980's / early 90's Colin G. Churchill states that the badge was worn from about 1894 until about 1906.

The bi-metal pattern with three turret castle (castle & sphinx still of white metal, remainder of gilding metal), introduced following standardisation of the Gibralter Castle. Sealed 18/10/01. K&K 651 refers.

Churchill states that the Other Ranks version of this badge was adopted some years after the officer’s & NCO’s versions were introduced into wear, being worn on the Broderick cap from 1903, & that this design was worn through the regiment’s change of title in 1951 until amalgamation in 1958.

He states that there were minor variations in design such as the size of lettering, lack of voiding under the motto scroll, & also that the first striking produced by Firmins had the castle on a straight line base while a later striking by Gaunt, believed introduced in the early 1920's, showed the castle on a grassy mound.

The "straight line" version is the norm for the various types of badge (all brass, plastic etc).

A more obvious variation was the version of this badge which was very noticeably wider at the top than the norm, about 45 mm wide instead of 40 mm.
Churchill states that it is believed that this badge was made in India & worn on the service cap by The 1^st Battalion circa 1906.
This doesn’t seem likely to me - Id’ve thought that such badges produced in India would be cast, & that die-struck badges would be produced in Britain. Presumably this is a manufacturer’s variation / mistake.
A set of Players cigarette cards "Regimental Standards and Cap Badges" from the early part of the last century shows a representation of this "wide" badge along with the Regimantal Colour of The 2nd Battalion.

The WWI brass economy version worn 1916-19. Gaylor page 135 refers.
Churchill refers to this badge as being made from gilding metal.
He also states that at the regimental museum this badge is recorded as also being issued to recruits circa 1927.

The WWII plastic economy version was produced in light bronze coloured plastic according to Kipling & King. K&K 2238 refers.
Churchill states that this badge was also produced coloured grey.
He gives the date sealed as 10/4/43 (Royal Army Clothing Department Pattern No. 12907).
Contract dates were 5/10/43 - 5/9/45, 22873 made, all by "RPL" Militaria Magazine issue 12).
This badge was of the "straight line" castle base pattern.


Churhill also states that he has heard of but not seen a gold & silver anodised version of the DORSETSHIRE badge.

Army Order 70/1951 of June 1951 changed the title of the regiment to The Dorset Regiment, & in accordance with this the name scroll on the cap badge changed from DORSETSHIRE to DORSET on a shorter scroll, the new pattern badge being sealed on 4/10/56.
K&K 2000 refers.

According to Churchill stocks of the old DORSETSHIRE badge had to be used up prior to issue of the DORSET badge & that as a result only a few of the new badges were issued, in 1958 - the year that the regiment amalgamated & adopted the Wessex Brigade cap badge.

Churchill states that he once possessed a variation of this badge which bore a long name scroll of the original length although bearing the shortened title of DORSET, thought to be a trial pattern. He also states that he has since seen others of different quality, so it appears that perhaps there was a trial strike followed by production of fakes or reproductions.

A gold & silver anodised version of the short name scroll DORSET pattern was produced at some point during the 1950's. Kipling & King refer to this in the text for K&K 2000.

Churchill states that unauthorised chromed examples of the DORSETSHIRE & DORSET versions of the three turret badge (& also of collar dogs & shoulder titles) exist.
Opinion varies as to whether these were worn by Regimental Police during the 1950's or produced by an enterprising dealer to sell as "variations".


Badges in my collection:

Left is the bi-metal three turret version with castle on straight line, centre is the "wide" version of that badge, right is the all brass WWI economy version.

[leigh kitchen]

Old "cigarette cards" can be useful when it comes to old army badges, drum banners etc, but some are totally inaccurate.
I can't remember the dates that theses series were produced, off hand, but shown here are:

Top left: "The Dorsetshire Regiment" from a series issued by John Player & Sons. This card shows the King's Crown Regimantal Colour of The 1st Battalion, the crest on the rear of the card shows "39", emphasising the 1st Bn (The 2nd Bn were the old 54th Foot).
This shows the three turret version"straight line" version of the bi-metal badge.
I think that this series was issued about 1937?

Top right is: "2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment" from a series "Regimental Standards and Cap Badges" produced by John Player & Sons, this shows the King's Crown Regimental Colour of the 2nd battalion & portrays the "wide" version of the three turret straight line bi-meatl badge.
Issued post WWI, during the 1920's?

Bottom left: "4th Battalion The Doretshire Regiment" issued by John Player & Sons, showing a King's Crown Regimenal Colour of The 4th Bn & an all white metal version of the three turrret straight line pattern bade, but without the sphinx & no "PRIMUS IN INDUS" motto scroll. The pre-1908 Territorial Army Volunteer & Militia battalions of line infantry regiments often wore white metal versions of the regular battalion's badges without the battle honours of the regulars. The castle, itself a regular's battle honour, is retained as the central feature of this badge, although the sphinx & motto scroll are not. Perhaps the sphinx was deliberately broken off the badge, leaving an open wreath (The officers of The 2nd Battalion broke the sphinx off of the castle over sphinx officer's forage cap badges of the 1890's & wore the sphinx alone in their headdress in order to distinguish them from the 1st Bn, according to Churchill).
Post 1908 the 4th Battalion adopted the regular's bi-metal three turret cap badge, but with a blank tablet under the sphinx instead of the word MARABOUT"
I think that this series, which concentrates on non-regular units, was issued about 1910?

Bottom right:"The Dorsetshire Regiment (39th)" from the "Some Cap Badges of Territorial Regiments" series issued by "Walters' "Palm" Toffee". This card shows as the badge of the 4th Battalion the two turret version of the regular battalions badge, obsolete since circa 1901 - 1906.
Series issued shortly before WWII.

[Jim Maclean]

Here are some of the badges mentioned, top left the long scroll 'Dorset', I'm pretty sure this example is a fake. I don't like the lack of detail to the sphinx's head or the fact the key chain does not show any links. I'd love to find an example of this badge that I'm happy with, but I don't think that's going to happen.

Top right is the short scroll 'Dorset'. This an officer's silver plate and gilt version but serves to illustrate the difference.

Bottom left, the 'Regimental castle' version, knows it's own way round the forum now. Pity they so radically changed the design on adopting the standard Gib castle as I really like this badge.

Bottom right, the blank scroll Territorial 4th Bn.

The last time I visited the museum, it was in reference to the wide laurels cap badge. The museum has one in it's display of cap badges marked 1906. Did the museum get th info from Churchill or vice versa? The ex 'Army Farmer' behind the desk said "amazin', never noticed that before, what do you know about it?" Also missing from the display was the 'Regimental castle' version of the badge, when I asked about this he said it was away to be reproduced. Can't believe they only have the one. The WW2 plastic economy version on display was awful, looked like it had been in the sun for a very long time

Very interesting that there was a blank Territorial version of the early badge. I must say I'd never given it a thought.

Any chance of a photocopy of Churchill's article

[Jack Dutton-Roberts]

Love the officers' Jim!!!!

Oozes quality

[leigh kitchen]

Originally Posted by Jim Maclean

Bottom left, the 'Regimental castle' version, knows it's own way round the forum now. Pity they so radically changed the design on adopting the standard Gib castle as I really like this badge.

Churchill does'nt like this badge, & I suppose that it does look a bit strange with the sphinx under the castle, but the old officer's version with just the castle over the sphinx & no wreath is a nice looking badge.

The last time I visited the museum, it was in reference to the wide laurels cap badge. The museum has one in it's display of cap badges marked 1906. Did the museum get th info from Churchill or vice versa? The ex 'Army Farmer' behind the desk said "amazin', never noticed that before, what do you know about it?"

The wide wreath does'nt look that old to me, & it does'nt sound right that it was produced in India - I think that it's just a manufacturers variation sometime during the 20's - 50's.

Also missing from the display was the 'Regimental castle' version of the badge, when I asked about this he said it was away to be reproduced.

I think I forgot to put in my ramble that Churchill says that the museum had restrikes run off from the original Gaunt dies of the standardised castle "Dorsetshire" & "Dorset" badges.
God bless them.

The WW2 plastic economy version on display was awful, looked like it had been in the sun for a very long time

I'll take it.

Very interesting that there was a blank Territorial version of the early badge. I must say I'd never given it a thought.

If you're referring to the "Palm Toffee" cig card they're actually showing the regular's regimental castle version - they show obsolete regular badges for other units in the series as well.

Any chance of a photocopy of Churchill's article

Okey-dokey, a plain brown envelope will be sent. It's a bit confusing in places, even a little contradictory, but useful.

[leigh kitchen]

Finally got an anodised Dorset's a couple of days ago, a one piece badge & unfortunately half the name scroll & a few leaves of the wreath are silver not gold coloured, so it's gone back to the dealer who'll check his stock for a better example.

[leigh kitchen]

Replacement arrived yesterday: the anodised version of the DORSET scroll badge:

[deejay]

Hi Leigh,

noticed this older thread, I got this badge from a good friend in England (it was his fathers). I noticed the wide vertical pin was removed and a catch and pin (sadly lost) as on third reich badges. What do you think of this one? Maker and which date?

Thanks in advance,
DJ

[deejay]

and back

[leigh kitchen]

It's the bi-metal pattern with three turret castle introduced following standardisation of the Gibralter Castle. Sealed 18/10/01, Kipling & King show it as their illustration 651.

Unless someone has knowledge of the die variations used by particular companies then there's no way of determining the manufacturer, it was a long lived design (well, 50 or 60 years anyway).

Brooching is common on old badges, presumably too wear on the lapel as a as knd of old comrades badge or as a sweetheart badge, often they're gilded.

[deejay]

Leigh,

thanks very much for your (quick) response and information.

I do have some more old British badges which I would like to show you if you are interested, I will let you know when I get around to posting them.

DJ