Badge 23rd London Rgt

[Jef]

Dear Gents,

Making a study about symbolism, tradition and heraldry in British badges ( ONLY 1914-1918) for our Belgian WFA journal. The study has finished and is going to be published next december. While doing the finishing touch, my friend and co-author showed me something new, see left badge. The badge on the right is in every reference book and shows Guilford Castle.

Does anyone knows the meaning of the figure in the middle of the left badge. What's the difference between those two badges. Who wears what? Any information would be gratefuly received.

kind regards,

Jef

[attachmentid=52730][attachmentid=52731]

[Jef]

Dear Gents,

Making a study about symbolism, tradition and heraldry in British badges ( ONLY 1914-1918) for our Belgian WFA journal. The study has finished and is going to be published next december. While doing the finishing touch, my friend and co-author showed me something new, see left badge. The badge on the right is in every reference book and shows Guilford Castle.

Does anyone knows the meaning of the figure in the middle of the left badge. What's the difference between those two badges. Who wears what? Any information would be gratefuly received.

kind regards,

Jef

[attachmentid=52730][attachmentid=52731]

Hello again,

Meanwhile i found (with the help of some friends in IFF, Ieper, Belgium) an answer to my question.

The right badge is the cap badge as we all know. So normally, headstones in the many cemeteries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission wears the cap badge of the soldier who's buried at that place.

But there are some exceptions! And the headstone to memory a member of the 23rd London Rgt. is one of these. Headstones for the 23rd London Rgt. wears the left badge ( badge number 1250 from the CWGC badge list). The middle is an old ancient device known as the Bridge House Mark, the emblem of Southwark ( on the southern Thamesbank of London) It consists of a combination of the Greek letter X, the initial of Christ, with the triangle of the Trinity and the circle of eternity.

The origins of the 23rd London Rgt. were in Southwark, so...

The Bridge House mark is still used by the Bridge House Estates Trust which is responsable to maintain the Southwark bridge, Blackfriars bridge, the London and Tower bridges and the Millenium bridge.

I thought some people would like to know this.

with kind regards,

Jef

[Tony]

Hello again,

Meanwhile i found (with the help of some friends in IFF, Ieper, Belgium) an answer to my question.

The right badge is the cap badge as we all know. So normally, headstones in the many cemeteries of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission wears the cap badge of the soldier who's buried at that place.

But there are some exceptions! And the headstone to memory a member of the 23rd London Rgt. is one of these. Headstones for the 23rd London Rgt. wears the left badge ( badge number 1250 from the CWGC badge list). The middle is an old ancient device known as the Bridge House Mark, the emblem of Southwark ( on the southern Thamesbank of London) It consists of a combination of the Greek letter X, the initial of Christ, with the triangle of the Trinity and the circle of eternity.

The origins of the 23rd London Rgt. were in Southwark, so...

The Bridge House mark is still used by the Bridge House Estates Trust which is responsable to maintain the Southwark bridge, Blackfriars bridge, the London and Tower bridges and the Millenium bridge.

I thought some people would like to know this.

with kind regards,

Jef

That's interesting Jef,

I used to go to school down Southwark Park Rd. (miles away from Southwark Bridge but Tower Bridge was just down the road) and never knew that.

Tony