The Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

[leigh kitchen]

Back in 1969 the government of the day proposed a number of disbandments & amalgamations amongst the British army infantry regiments - the move that caught the publics attention being the proposed reduction of the 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from a Regular Army battalion to a unit of company strength - there was a world wide "Save The Argylls Campaign", the next government had sworn to do so, & ultimately did, the Argylls were brought back up to battalion strength & the A & S H Band which had been disbanded was reformed in January 1972.

But, failing to catch the interest of the British public as the Argylls had, around this time there were still reductions in the army, eg, the 4th Bn Royal Anglian Regiment (the old Leicestershire Regiment pre amalgamation into the R. Anglians) was reduced to company strength "Tiger Company" & eventually disbanded (the surviving battalions of The Royal Anglian Regiment adopted a new design of button - instead of its cap badge being represented on the button, the Leicester's tiger as borne on their old cap badge was now shown).

Anotherproposal of 1969 was the formation of a new regiment, The Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire and Hampshire by amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment & The Royal Hampshire Regiment a decision again reversed by the new government - The Glosters being retained at battalion strength & The Royal Hants as an independent company.

Although the proposed amalgamation never took place, cap badges were struck for the new Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire & Hampshire, to be worn paired with the Gloucestershire Regiment's "back badge" of sphinx within laurel wreath.

The one piece anodised cap badge bearing the the Gloster's sphinx & the Hampshire's crowned star & rose.

Manufacturer's mark "J. R. GAUNT LONDON LTD."