Formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 50<SUP>th</SUP> Foot & the 97<SUP>th</SUP> Foot, The Royal West Kent Regiment (Queen’s Own) was re-titled later that year The Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
They wore the White Horse of Kent above a scroll "INVICTA", in Old English lettering, beneath that motto scroll was a three part scroll "Royal West Kent".
The motto translates as "unconquered", a reference to the area’s status during Roman occupation of Britain although it appears that this was due to collaboration more than anything else (so I’ve read).
The regiment’s title changed back to The Royal West Kent Regiment (Queen’s Own) in 1920, & in 1921 to The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, but the design of the cap badge remained unchanged until it became part of the Home Counties Brigade in 1958 & adopted the brigade’s cap badge.
In 1961 the regiment amalgamated with The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) to form The Queen’s Own Buffs, Royal Kent Regiment, still wearing the brigade cap badge.
This regiment was amalgamated further in 1966, and formed 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Battalion The Queen’s Regiment, adopting the cap badge of that new regiment.
Badges in my collection:
Left is the white metal version sealed 21/6/1898. K&K 668 refers
Right is the silver anodised version sealed 2/11/64. As the regiment had been amalgamated into The Queen’s Own Buffs in 1961, that regiment being amalgamated into The Queens Regiment on 1/1/66, it appears that this anodised badge would have been by Territorial Army elements only.
Missing from my collection are:
The WWI brass economy version Gaylor page 135 refers.
The WWII plastic economy version, 53,216 produced in silver grey colour, all by "HP".
They wore the White Horse of Kent above a scroll "INVICTA", in Old English lettering, beneath that motto scroll was a three part scroll "Royal West Kent".
The motto translates as "unconquered", a reference to the area’s status during Roman occupation of Britain although it appears that this was due to collaboration more than anything else (so I’ve read).
The regiment’s title changed back to The Royal West Kent Regiment (Queen’s Own) in 1920, & in 1921 to The Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, but the design of the cap badge remained unchanged until it became part of the Home Counties Brigade in 1958 & adopted the brigade’s cap badge.
In 1961 the regiment amalgamated with The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) to form The Queen’s Own Buffs, Royal Kent Regiment, still wearing the brigade cap badge.
This regiment was amalgamated further in 1966, and formed 2<SUP>nd</SUP> Battalion The Queen’s Regiment, adopting the cap badge of that new regiment.
Badges in my collection:
Left is the white metal version sealed 21/6/1898. K&K 668 refers
Right is the silver anodised version sealed 2/11/64. As the regiment had been amalgamated into The Queen’s Own Buffs in 1961, that regiment being amalgamated into The Queens Regiment on 1/1/66, it appears that this anodised badge would have been by Territorial Army elements only.
Missing from my collection are:
The WWI brass economy version Gaylor page 135 refers.
The WWII plastic economy version, 53,216 produced in silver grey colour, all by "HP".