VICTORIAN / EDWARDIAN Leinster Regiment Irish Cap Badge – LUGS VERSION

Guaranteed original. Complete & intact. This is an original Leinster 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 Leinster Regiment cap badges

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The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army. The Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment was formed in 1881 was first raised in Canada as the 100th Regiment of Foot (Royal Canadians) (also known as the Royal Canadian Regiment). The Regiment originally maintained a recruiting depot in Canada but eventually they moved to Ireland. In the Cardwell Reforms of the British army in the 1881, existing single battalion regiments were amalgamated to form new, two battalion units. The 100th Regiment was combined with the 109th Regiment to form the Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) with a Regimental HQ and recruit depot established in Leinster province in Ireland. The 100th became the 1st Bn of the new regiment, but their name ‘Royal Canadians’ was now used for both battalions. It then became one of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, its home depot in Birr, until following establishment of the independent Irish Free State in 1922, the five regiments that had their traditional recruiting grounds in the counties of the new state were disbanded. The regiment served the counties of Longford, Meath, Westmeath, Offaly (King’s County) and Laois (Queen’s County), with its garrison depot at Crinkill, near Birr. Prior to World War I (World War I) there were 5 Battalions, two regular battalions, the 1st and 2nd with 3 Militia battalions. The 3rd was The King’s County Militia, the 4th was The Queen’s County Militia and the 5th was The Royal Meath Militia.

Militarily, the whole of Ireland was administered as a separate command within the United Kingdom with Command Headquarters at Parkgate (Phoenix Park) Dublin, directly under the War Office in London. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914 two additional Service Battalions were formed, the 6th Battalion and the 7th Battalion. The Regiment raised seven battalions for service with the British Army during World War I, which saw action on the Western Front and in the Middle East. In the war the 1st Battalion served with the 27th Division and the 10th (Irish) Division. The 2nd Battalion with the 6th Division, 24th Division, 16th (Irish) Division and the 29th Division. The 6th Battalion served with the 10th (Irish) Division, 14th (Light) Division, 34th Division and 66th Division. The 7th Battalion with the 16th (Irish) Division. The Leinsters became one of the many British regiments disbanded in 1922. After the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922, six Irish regiments of the British army were disbanded. The Colours of these Irish regiments were laid up in Windsor Castle. The Regimental Colours are kept, in safety and in perpetuity, by the British Royal Family in Windsor Castle.

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