Cap Badges

[HEPZIBAH]

Every day I learn something new. These things are often not what I have sought to learn but they have come my way regardless. Today I learnt that the cap badge of the Lincolnshire Regiment includes the word Egypt and is topped by the Sphinx.

The Sphinx

Cap Badge of the Lincolnshire Regiment

(Article submitted by Mr Wally Hibbard)


The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment had, as it's cap and beret badge, the Sphinx superscribed "Egypt" over "Royal Lincolnshire". Why then were the soldiers of the Lincolnshire Regiment wearing a symbol of a far-off land? To find the answer we have to look at an earlier war that the regiment was involved in - the war against Revolutionary France led by Napoleon Bonaparte, fought by the British and French in many corners of the world, culminating in the Battle of Waterloo.
The Lincolnshire Regiment played a prominent part in the war with Revolutionary France and the Peninsular War, but it's finest hour was when the Regiment sailed from India in 1801, to reinforce an army sent from England, to fight Napoleon's troops in Egypt.

For the Lincolnshire Regiment to reach the rest of the army, a forced march was necessary - through 120 miles of desert, from Cossier, on the Red Sea, to Kenna, on the River Nile. This arduous march took place under the watchful eyes of unfriendly Arabs who may have attacked at any moment. Under the blistering heat of the sun, the soldiers found the going tough. Some, unable to resist the inclination to sleep, and overcome with heat and thirst, lay on the burning sand to rest, never to re-awake. The journey across the barren desert was accomplished in a magnificent 8 days but, despite all their best efforts, the Lincolns arrived at Kenna too late to take part in the fight that finally expelled Napoleon's army from Egypt.

For all it's services in the campaign against Napoleon in Egypt, the Lincolnshire Regiment was granted the honour of wearing the Sphinx as a distinguished mark of the King's "Royal Approbation", both on Regimental Colours and on their headgear.
Today the Sphinx is still displayed proudly, on the Colours and uniforms of the successors of the Lincolnshire Regiment.

http://www.thelincolnshireregiment.org/capbadge.shtml

I've since gone on to learn that other British regiments have the sphinx as part of their cap badge too so presumably they were also involved with campaigns against Napoleon in Egypt.

[carrie]

What a march, very interesting Hepzibah thanks for posting that. I am now going to read more about it.

[Major Thom]

Coming from Lincoln and being a true Yellow Belly of course I already knew this, but never knew the origin of the badge s thanks for that Hepzi. They always used to say that the Yellow Bellies got their name from the Regiments vivid yellow waist coats, but that is not true. When a baby was born out of tradition the Grand Parents would place a Gold Soveriegn in the babies belly button for luck, this dated back over 150 years ago, alas the name of Yellow Belly came to be. Not sure what they do now due to the demise of the Soveriegn, probably in these modern times they pierce the babies navel and stick in a gold stud.

[HEPZIBAH]

MajorThom, those are just two of numerous debated theories on the origin of the term 'yellow/yeller belly'. Others include piracy at Cleethorpes; maleria on the fens; newts; regimental colours; and leather aprons.

Going back to the main topic, and the military...as Lincolnshire man, were any of your relations in the Chums?

[Dusak]

Then there is the term of being considered a ''yellow belly,'' a coward. Wonder if there is a connection.

[Major Thom]

My grandfather on my Mothers side and a couple of distant relatives Hepzi. I remember looking back on my he Cleethorpes Piracy theory when I was in Grimsby Police, (Grimsby and Cleethorpes run into each other has most know) but never found anything to corroborate the theory. My Uncle was the Mayor of Cleethorpes on 3 occasions and again nothing was dug up to prove the theory. So around 14 years ago I wrote an article in the Lincolnshire Life's sister magazine the Lincolnshire Poacher. There were many replies and information that came back to me most included sepia photos of babies with sovereigns in their navels, and a few with old photos of the Lincolnshire Regiment. After a lot of correspondence with the main Library in Lincoln it was never concluded which theory was correct. However it was thought the coin theory may be the most correct theory due to the waistcoat colours following heraldic coloring, and the amount of photos of christening's supporting the coin theory. So really the mystery remains.