The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment was formed in 18811 as a result of the Childer’s Reforms by amalgamating the 33rd and 76th Regiments of Foot. The Regiment would make Halifax its home for most of the next century and the badge adopted was to see service throughout the Regiment’s history until it was absorbed into the Yorkshire Regiment in 2006. The badge adopted was based on the family crest of the Duke of Wellington and consisted of the lion rampant carrying an unfurled banner and inside a ducal crown. A banner beneath has the Latin motto ‘Virtutis Fortuna Comes’ which translates as ‘Fortune is the Companion of Valour’. Beneath this is a scroll with the words ‘West Riding’. The cap badges were produced in a number of forms over the decades, with bronze officer’s versions, staybrite versions and economy versions in brass. The most common badge for most of the life of the regiment, however, was in white and gilding metal like this example:

The badge could be worn alone, or with a red felt backing. The badge has a simple slider on the rear to allow it to be attached to a variety of caps:

The badge can also be found with a pair of lugs to allow it to be fasted with a cotter pin, although the slider is more common. The current Yorkshire Regiment cap badge still features the lion holding a banner as a crest above the white rose of Yorkshire and is a fitting tribute to the regiment’s forebears.