Page 111 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 109
Fig. 4
and on visiting the regiment she allegedly remarked upon their insignias lack of recognition of the 5L
It was probably to redress that situation, that in 1951 new ‘Irish harp’ collar badges were introduced, as shown in Fig.3, and the old 16L collar badges made obsolete. These new collar badges appear in ‘List of Changes (LOC) C.4825, and Catalogue of Clothing and Necessities (CCN) Section CB Cat. No.2512.’
Their dimensions are 32.6mm high, 20.0mm wide, with a single vertical loop fixing. I have to date been unable to find an image, in the public domain, of these collar badges in wear. However, I do not find this particularly surprising, as the regiment was overseas during the majority of the period 1951 to 1954, and I suspect that the opportunity for wear of these collar badges was limited, and as far as I can ascertain regimental photographic records were sparse. That said, there is the possibility, that al- though authorised and manufactured, these collar badges may never have been issued.
The existence of these new collars has largely gone unnoticed and indeed unrecorded, with the exception of Ordnance CCNs and LOCs. Due to this, when they do come to light they are often miss-identified and described as 5L collars.
After the death of King George VI in 1952 the regiment was to receive a new title, which was conferred upon it by Queen Eliza- beth II, who remained colonel-in-chief of the regiment. In 1954 the regiment became the ‘16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers’, and in that same year a new collar badge was introduced. This was to be the third pattern collar badge of the regiment, and was to be known as ‘The Queen’s Badge’.
In 1766 what was to become the 16L named for Queen Charlotte, and this new collar badge was a combination of Princess Char- lotte’s cypher, a ‘C’ within a strap, on the right, and a crowned ‘Maid of Erin’ within a circle embossed with a laurel spray and the motto ‘QUIS SEPARABIT’ on the left, both over a scroll ‘QUEEN’S ROYAL LANCERS’ and surmounted by a crown, all superimposed on cross lances.
These collar badges were manufactured in three metals/finishes. So, in what is believed to be the chronological order of wear, an example of the first of these collars in white metal, CCN Cat. No.7319, is shown in Fig.4. Their dimensions are 26.2mm high, 30.3mm wide, and have north/south loop fixings at 19.9mm apart. The second were the same, but chromed as shown in Fig.5, and
Fig. 5
lastly the third which were of anodised aluminium, CCN Cat. No.3419, in Fig.6, their dimensions were 26.5mm high, 30.5mm wide, with a single vertical loop fixing. There is an anomaly here, in that the white-metal and chromed collars, one would have thought, should really have had single vertical loop fixings, as that was ordnance policy post 1951. However, it appears exceptions were made in this instance, possibly at the regiment’s request.
The use of chromed badges was quite common, and there have been many Royal Armoured Corps regiments that have had chromed cap, collar and indeed NCO Arm Badges since WWII. However, they are difficult, if not impossible to detect photo- graphically. It seems the earlier chromed badges often only be- come known about when mentioned anecdotally by ex-regimental members or one physically finds them, although sometimes they can be found documented in LOCs, CCNs and its successors. I hope this article will be of help and interest to those that read it.
All figures: Author’s Collection
Acknowledgements:
Captain Mick Holtby late 17/21L
Don Mclean late 16/5L
Lieutenant Colonel Robin Hodges late The King’s Regiment References:
RP
The Scarlet Lancers – James Lunt
History of the 16th/5th The Queens Royal Lancers 1925-1961 – Brigadier C.N. Barclay WO and NCO Cavalry Arm Badges – Linaker and Dine
The D.A.Linaker ‘Ironside Badge Collection’ Notes and Images
Fig. 6