Infantry Units raised in the British Army during the Great War of 1914 – 1918.

October 27, 2024

Infantry Units raised in the British Army during the Great War of 1914 – 1918 (latterly known as World War One).

In this series we take a closer look at the cap badges of the infantry units raised, and manned, specifically for action during the Great War. Separate series are dedicated to the Corps and The Royal Navy division, that were formed during the same period.

Most were at battalion strength and were subordinate to their local Army Regiments. The list of the battalion strength units:

Army Regiment (The…)	Battalion numbers	Unit name
		2^ndKing Edward’s Horse Regt
Northumberland Fusiliers	20^th-27^th, 29^th and 30^th	Tyneside Scottish
Royal Warwickshire	14^th-16^th	Birmingham Pals (1^st-3^rd)
Royal Fusiliers	25^th	Frontiersmen
	38^th-40^th, and 42^nd	Jewish Legion
King’s Liverpool	17^th-20^th	Liverpool Pals (1^st-4^th)
Prince of Wales’s Own West Yorkshire	15^th	Leeds Pals
East Surrey	13^th	Wandsworth
Border	11^th	Lonsdale
Welsh	16^th	Cardiff Pals
Duke of Cambridge’s Own Middlesex	18^th	1^st Public Works Pioneer
Royal Irish Rifles	14^th	Young Citizens

The article will explore each in a bit more detail, showing what I believe to be correct original badges and their traits, as well as reproductions and their traits also. I will include as many photos as possible, keeping the post updated continually as new examples and evidence comes to hand.

The blog will not go into detail around the units themselves. There are other excellent sources of information for this information.

The 2^nd King Edward’s Horse Regiment

Starting with what is considered the correct type of badge for this regiment, front and rear view.

Characteristics:

No.	Version	Material	Method	Mount	Height	Width
1	Other Ranks	Gilding metal	Stamping	Slider	60 mm	45 mm
2	Other ranks	Gilding metal	Die cast	Slider	59.5 mm	45 mm
3	Officer	Bronze

1. Stamped other ranks version.

The type considered to be correct. Key point to note is the lack of the laurel leaf above the ‘C’ of the CANADA banner.

2. die cast other ranks example.

An interesting example, I do consider this to be correct also, but is less commonly found. This type is rarely found with the maker mark “A. J. ALLEN B'HAM”.

The laurel leaf above the CANADA banner is present. The area above the rolls of the Empire and Liberty banner are cut in on both sides.

Neither of these badges have the dropped AND in the lower banner. This I believe is a feature of the common copies.

Copies/reproductions

A range of copies from a similar die, both voided and not voided, found on lugs, inconsistently positioned, or a slider, mounted lower than on the originals. The details are weak and poorly defined, particularly evident from the reverse of the stamping. The main feature is the dropped AND word in the lower banner, as detailed.