WW1 The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) Regiment Cap Badge

Guaranteed original. Complete & intact. This is an original WW1 Rifle Brigade Regiment Cap Badge for sale. In good condition. Please see our other items for more original WW1, WW2 & post war British military cap badges for sale including other Rifle Brigade Regiment cap badges.

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The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army. Formed in January 1800 as the “Experimental Corps of Riflemen” to provide sharpshooters, scouts and skirmishers, they were soon renamed “The Rifle Corps”. In January 1803 they became an established regular regiment and were titled the 95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles). In 1816, after the final defeat of Napoleon, they were again renamed, this time as “The Rifle Brigade”. The Rifle Brigade fielded 28 battalions during the First World War, from its original complement of 4 regular and 2 reserve, seeing service primarily on the Western Front, but also in Macedonia. The regiment lost 11,575 killed during the course of the war. They were awarded 52 battle honours, 10 Victoria Crosses and numerous other decorations. The 8th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (together with the 7th & 9th battalions) was part of the 41st Brigade of the 14th (Light) Division of XV Corps. They were mainly made up of volunteers from the outbreak of World War I. The battalion saw action including at the Ypres Salient and the Somme. Notably the action they were in at Hooge, Belgium (30-31 July 1915) saw the first use of flamethrowers by the Germans, Sidney Clayton Woodroffe was awarded the VC for his actions in this battle. Alfred George Drake, a corporal in the 8th Battalion, was posthumously awarded the VC for his actions on 23 November 1915, near La Brique, Belgium. They also participated in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 September 1916) during the Somme Offensive which saw the first ever deployment of the tank in battle. One of the many who died during the First World War was Rfn Sidney George Cox, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade, from the county town of Hertford, Herts.

The Rifle Brigade raised seventeen battalions to fight in the Second World War. In 1937, the regiment formed the first motor battalions, a role that would allow the Rifle Brigade freedom of movement which fit their tradition of speed and initiative. The 1st Battalion of the regiment was forced to surrender during the Battle of France in 1940 with the survivors of the 2nd Battalion KRRC and the now embodied Territorial Army battalion of the Queen Victoria’s Rifles (KRRC). After a four day epic battle to hold Calais only 30 men escaped by Royal Navy launch just at the point of surrender, late afternoon 26 May, but not before they had fought a gallant last stand using up the last of their ammunition as they pulled back into the port. The 1st Battalion was reformed in the UK and took part with the 2nd Battalion in the battles in North Africa. The 1st Battalion’s four 6-pounders were credited with destroying 19 tanks from the 21st Panzer Division at the Battle of Alam el Halfa on the 31 August 1942. The 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade fought with distinction in the Western Desert Campaign, especially in the “Snipe” action during the Battle of El Alamein, where the four 6-pounders of that battalion, supported by a Royal Artillery 6-pounder Anti-Tank battery, destroyed fifty-one German and Italian tanks in a battle that lasted sixteen hours. Lieutenant Colonel Turner received the Victoria Cross for his actions fighting with the guns. Four battalions of the regiment fought in the Italian Campaign, the 1st returning to England in December 1943 to prepare for the invasion of North West Europe. The remaining three battalions were formed into 61st Infantry Brigade, but continued their accustomed role of co-operating with armour when conditions allowed. Their capture of the hills of Perugia involved four successive night attacks. The 1st and 8th Battalions landed in Normandy in June 1944, and fought their way through France, Belgium and the Netherlands to end the war in the vicinity of Hamburg. The regiment was awarded 57 battle honours for World War II.

Please see our other items for more original WW1, WW2 & post war British military badges for sale including other Rifle Brigade Regiment cap badges.