*British Indian Army, WW1 era, Officer’s Silver Cap Badge, 1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)*
A fine officer’s quality cap badge of the 1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) of the British Indian Army. The badge is struck in silver and displays the regiment’s distinctive combination of crossed kukris, rifle bugle, and the Prince of Wales’s plumes above. Based on the silver officer’s construction, simple “SILVER” stamp, and tall Gurkha slouch-hat lugs, this badge is likely an early 20th-century private purchase example, probably dating to the First World War period.
The central motif consists of two crossed kukri knives, the traditional weapon of the Gurkhas and a powerful symbol of their battlefield reputation and martial tradition. Beneath the blades appears a strung rifle bugle horn with the numeral “1”, identifying the regiment as the senior Gurkha rifle regiment. Above the blades sits the Prince of Wales’s three ostrich feathers emerging from a coronet, with the motto scroll clearly reading “ICH DIEN” (“I Serve”), reflecting the royal patronage granted when the Prince of Wales (later King George V) became Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment in 1906.
The reverse is fitted with two tall lugs, the correct form for Gurkha headgear such as the slouch or Terai hat, allowing the badge to pass through thick felt and the pugaree cloth band before being secured with a split pin. The back is stamped “SILVER,” indicating an officer’s private-purchase badge rather than the white metal examples issued to other ranks.
Approx. Measurements – Height: 4.2 cm. Width: 3.5 cm.
History Note:
The 1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment) traces its origins to 1815, formed shortly after the Anglo-Nepalese War. British officers were so impressed by the fighting ability of the Gurkhas that several regiments were raised from former Nepalese soldiers.
The regiment gained its nickname “The Malaun Regiment” after the siege of Malaun during the war. Over the following century it became one of the most distinguished units of the British Indian Army, serving across the Empire.
During the First World War, the regiment fought in France and Flanders, including at Neuve Chapelle, as well as in Gallipoli and the Middle East. In the Second World War it served extensively in the Burma Campaign, where Gurkha units earned a formidable reputation for jungle warfare and close combat.
Following the independence and partition of India in 1947, the regiment was transferred to the Indian Army, where it continues today as the 1 Gorkha Rifles.
*Condition*
The badge remains in good collector’s condition with clear detail to the kukris, bugle, and Prince of Wales’s plumes. The reverse retains both original tall lugs, showing period soldering and natural age patina consistent with service wear. The “SILVER” stamp is clearly visible on the reverse. Minor surface wear and tarnish commensurate with age. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
JAQ#3041CE_9676237413
