Discovering British Military Badges and Buttons (Shire Discovering)

This book first examines the development of the various styles of military head-dress badge from 1751, when the use of private crests and badges was forbidden, to the introduction of 'cap badges' in 1894. From that date, every style of badge for each regiment of the regular Army is described or illustrated. Through the turbulent years of the First World War, and the reductions and amalgamations of the years following, the effects on badge design are detailed.
Buttons are dealt with from the first order to number buttons in 1767, through the era of numbered buttons, to the newly designed buttons adopted in 1881, bearing a regimental badge.
The continuing story of both badges and buttons reflects subsequent reorganisations of the Army and is brought up to the present day with the new badges designed for the brigade system of 1958, the large regiments of the 1970s and the radical Army reorganisations and amalgamations since 1990.