The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 62<SUP>nd</SUP> Foot & 99<SUP>th</SUP> Foot.
Initially The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) they were re-titled The (Duke of Edinburgh’s) Wiltshire Regiment later in the year.
In 1920 they again became The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s).
The cap badge design of a cross patee bearing a disc with the Duke’s coronet & monogram AEA (Alfred Ernest Albert, second son of Queen Victoria) & a scroll bearing THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT remained unchanged until the present Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, became Colonel in Chief of the regiment in 1954. At some point after that as well as the change in monogram, the coronet changed to from that of a Duke to that of a Prince Consort.
In 1958 the regiment amalgamated with The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) to form The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire), & the new regiment joined The Wessex Brigade, adopting the brigade cap badge.
The badges in my collection:
Left is the version bearing the monogram & coronet of Alfred Ernest Albert, of gilding metal, worn until the mid-late 50's if replaced at all in the regular battalion prior to amalgamation in 1958. K&K 676 refers.
Second left is a version of the same badge but with a different sized central disc, a manufacturers variation but quite noticeable.
Right is the light bronze coloured WWII plastic economy version. K&K 2252 refers.
Contract dates 28/10/43 - 5/9/45, 54,536 produced, all by JRL.(Militaria Magazine issue 12).
Missing from my collection are:
The gold anodised version of the "AEA" badge. K&K 676 text refers.
The gilding metal version of the Prince Philip badge, sealed on 5/6/56. K&K 2013 refers.
The gold anodised version of the Prince Philip badge, sealed on 26/8/64.
K&K 2013 text refers.
There was presumably a WWI brass economy version of the "AEA", but it would be indistinguishable from the gilding metal version.
As the regiment ceased to exist in 1958, perhaps the regular battalion didn’t wear the Prince Philip version in gilding metal or the anodised versions of both designs.
Initially The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s) they were re-titled The (Duke of Edinburgh’s) Wiltshire Regiment later in the year.
In 1920 they again became The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh’s).
The cap badge design of a cross patee bearing a disc with the Duke’s coronet & monogram AEA (Alfred Ernest Albert, second son of Queen Victoria) & a scroll bearing THE WILTSHIRE REGIMENT remained unchanged until the present Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, became Colonel in Chief of the regiment in 1954. At some point after that as well as the change in monogram, the coronet changed to from that of a Duke to that of a Prince Consort.
In 1958 the regiment amalgamated with The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) to form The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment (Berkshire & Wiltshire), & the new regiment joined The Wessex Brigade, adopting the brigade cap badge.
The badges in my collection:
Left is the version bearing the monogram & coronet of Alfred Ernest Albert, of gilding metal, worn until the mid-late 50's if replaced at all in the regular battalion prior to amalgamation in 1958. K&K 676 refers.
Second left is a version of the same badge but with a different sized central disc, a manufacturers variation but quite noticeable.
Right is the light bronze coloured WWII plastic economy version. K&K 2252 refers.
Contract dates 28/10/43 - 5/9/45, 54,536 produced, all by JRL.(Militaria Magazine issue 12).
Missing from my collection are:
The gold anodised version of the "AEA" badge. K&K 676 text refers.
The gilding metal version of the Prince Philip badge, sealed on 5/6/56. K&K 2013 refers.
The gold anodised version of the Prince Philip badge, sealed on 26/8/64.
K&K 2013 text refers.
There was presumably a WWI brass economy version of the "AEA", but it would be indistinguishable from the gilding metal version.
As the regiment ceased to exist in 1958, perhaps the regular battalion didn’t wear the Prince Philip version in gilding metal or the anodised versions of both designs.