DYKT 4: Did you know that The Royal Green Jackets cap badge incorporated a naval crown?

When The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966, the Regiment included at the base of its cap badge a ‘naval crown’ and the words ‘Copenhagen 2nd April 1801’ which previously adorned the cap badge of The Rifle Brigade.

The Royal Green Jackets Cap Badge

Background

On 2 April 1801 a company of the Experimental Corps of Riflemen (later The Rifle Brigade) took part in the Battle of Copenhagen. The Regiment was subsequently awarded the battle honour ‘Copenhagen’ which, as the Regiment did not carry colours, was emblazoned on the cap badge.

Rifle Brigade Cap badge pre 1951

In 1951 The Rifle Brigade was authorised, as published in Army Order 136/251, to add a ‘naval crown’ to its cap badge and to include the date ‘2nd April 1801’. This led to a major redesign of The Rifle Brigade cap badge including:

 A resumption of the use of the crown of the Guelphic Order, conferred on the Duke of Wellington in 1816, the year that the Regiment was titled The Rifle Brigade and the Duke became its first Colonel-in-Chief. The crown was positioned at the apex of the cap badge and was for long peculiar to Light Dragoon regiments and The Rifle Brigade. It was replaced by a ‘King’s crown’ in 1910.

 Exclusion from the cap badge, for reasons of space, of all battle honours awarded to The Rifle Brigade after 1822.

The new Rifle Brigade cap badge described above was introduced in 1955.

The 1955 Rifle Brigade Cap Badge

When The Royal Green Jackets was formed on 1 January 1966, the ‘naval crown’ and the words ‘Copenhagen 2nd April 1801’ were proudly adopted by the new Regiment as a part of its cap badge, the crown of the Guelphic Order being replaced at the apex of The Royal Green Jackets’ cap badge by a ‘Queen’s crown’ to reflect HM Queen Elizabeth II’s position as the Regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief.

The Royal Green Jackets Cap Badge

Following the formation of The Rifles on 1 February 2007, the new Regiment adopted a bugle cap badge, adorned by a ‘Queen’s crown’ at its apex, without the inclusion of any battle honours. However, ‘Copenhagen’ remains a named battle honour on The Rifles’ cross-belt badge which also has a ‘Queen’s crown’ at its apex. No place was found for inclusion of the ‘naval crown’ or the words ‘2nd April 1801’.

Riflemen in action at the Battle of Copenhagen
 

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