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British Army
The Border Regiment Collar Badges
英軍邊境團領章
Item number: M230-1, M230-2
Year: AD 1885-1895
Material: Gilt / Brass
Size: 35.0 x 29.0 x 16.7 / 35.0 x 29.0 x 16.7 mm
Weight: 6.9 / 7.2 g
Provenance: Private Collector, UK, 2023
This is a pair of collar badges from the 19th century, specifically from the late Victorian era. These badges were worn on military uniforms to identify the regiment. They belong to the British Army’s “The Border Regiment.”
Both collar badges replicate the regiment’s insignia, featuring a Chinese dragon surrounded by a laurel wreath on the obverse side, with the legend “CHINA” inscribed above the dragon. The reverse side of each badge has a pair of loops for securing them to the collar. The left badge is gold-gilded, while the right badge is made of brass, resulting in a noticeable colour difference between the two. This difference is even more apparent when viewed from the reverse side.
The Border Regiment’s insignia retains the Chinese dragon and the word “CHINA” due to its origins during the First Opium War in AD 1841. During this conflict, one of the regiment’s predecessors, the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot, captured a Qing Dynasty military flag at the Battle of Tinghai. This flag is currently preserved at Kendal Parish Church in England.
In AD 1881, the British Army merged the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot and the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot to form a new unit, named “The Border Regiment” due to the regiments’ proximity to the England-Scotland border. Since then, The Border Regiment participated in the British Empire’s colonial wars during the Victorian era and fought in both World Wars.
From AD 1947 to AD 1955, the regiment was deployed in the Near East, including Palestine, Egypt, and Cyprus. In AD 1955, it was redeployed to West Germany to assist in the defence against a potential Soviet invasion. In AD 1957, the regiment was stationed in West Berlin, on the front lines of the Cold War. In AD 1959, The Border Regiment merged with the King’s Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to form the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment, adopting a new name and insignia.