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.

物件編號: M230-1, M230-2

年代: 公元 1885-1895 年

材質: 鍍金 / 黃銅

尺寸: 35.0 x 29.0 x 16.7 / 35.0 x 29.0 x 16.7 mm

重量: 6.9 / 7.2 g

來源: 英國私人收藏 2023

這是一對公元19世紀，即維多利亞女王統治晚期，配戴在軍服衣領以辨識部隊身分之領章，其所屬的部隊為英國陸軍「邊境團」。

左右兩側的領章形制皆臨摹部隊隊徽，正面是月桂花環圍繞的中國龍，龍的上方打印「CHINA」(中國) 字樣。領章背面有一對扣環以固定於衣領。左側領章有經過鍍金加工，右側領章則為黃銅材質，故兩者的色澤有所差異，翻至背面其差異更為明顯。

邊境團隊徽之所以保有中國龍和「CHINA」字樣，源自公元1841年第一次鴉片戰爭中，部隊前身之一「第55威斯特摩蘭郡步兵團」在定海的戰鬥，成功擄獲一面清軍軍旗，目前這面旗幟由英國肯德爾教區教堂保管。

公元1881年，英軍合併「第55威斯特摩蘭郡步兵團」和「第34昆布蘭郡步兵團」為新單位，由於兩支單位的駐地皆鄰近英格蘭和蘇格蘭交界，因此新單位被冠以「邊境團」名稱。自此邊境團參與帝國在維多利亞時期的殖民戰爭，和後續極為慘烈的兩次世界大戰。公元1947至1955年，該部隊部署在巴勒斯坦、埃及和賽普勒斯等近東地區。公元1955年，被調度至西德協防和監視蘇聯可能的入侵。公元1957年，更調度至冷戰最前線的西柏林駐點。公元1959年，部隊與「國王皇家蘭卡斯特步兵團」合併為「國王皇家邊境團」，使用新名字和隊徽。