Badges and insignia are allied in military history to the art and science of heraldry and have grown to encompass paramilitaries and civilians in uniform; in many ways, indeed, they were the earliest form of uniform. The use of badges to differentiate friend from foe on the battlefield is thought to go back to the earliest times, and references in the Chinese Book of War of c.500 bc mention the decoration of banners (see colours, banners, and standards) with the figures of animals and birds, real and mythological; it has been assumed that these had some significance as emblems for differing groups to fight beneath. From the classical world the most well-remembered nationally symbolic badge must be the Roman eagle, copied by
As heraldry developed in Europe from the 12th century, with one of its principal inducements to growth being the necessity of being identifiable on the battlefield when rendered anonymous by enveloping armour, so the badge as it is recognized today developed too. Part of the art of heraldry is to assign to individuals a unique combination of symbols which have meaning for their lives, achievements, localities, and names. While this may have begun with national symbols, it was followed very quickly by individual—and thus local—ones too. Under the feudal system a knight was expected to be accompanied to war by retainers drawn from his estate; he was expected to arm and clothe such retainers appropriately. In order that his men might be distinguishable as such, as well as part of the larger force the knight was summoned to join, they needed insignia of both a national and a local type. In England the red cross of St George was adopted in an Article of War of 1385 as the national symbol and it developed ultimately into the national flag. As well as wearing the red cross on a white ground, English soldiers wore badges drawn from their masters' heraldry to denote their local allegiance: these developed into regimental badges in the late 17th and 18th centuries.
By the mid-18th century the development of national armies was complete in the West and each nation had its national flag, uniforms, and symbols as well as a sophisticated regimental and inter-regimental system of badges and flags. Such systems were progressions from comparatively primitive origins and, importantly, were just as easily comprehended. The fleur-de-lis of France, the eagles—single or double-headed—of Prussia, Russia, and Austria, the white horse of Hanover: all these appeared on the battlefield on the national uniforms of European soldiers. Monarchs' and emperors' ciphers and the badges and stars of national knighthood and chivalry underlined soldiers' national allegiances. Colonels of regiments, the descendants of feudal knights with their bands of retainers, used their personal heraldry on regimental badges where and when allowed, although this was increasingly discouraged as armies became more nationally based.
Some national armies responded better to uniformity of badges than others but an area where most agreed that uniformity within a national army was of paramount importance was with badges of rank: armies are, after all, no matter what the political system of their masters, deeply hierarchical. Once systems of rank badges were established, by the early 19th century in most western nations, attention became focused on badges for proficiency, for battlefield role and for specialization: such marks of distinction developed in the West throughout the 19th century and became codified by regulations.
At the same period, in that most regimental of armies—the British—regimental badges burgeoned, decorating and differentiating soldiers' uniforms with ancient heraldic badges and symbols—like the Sphinx for Egypt and the tiger for India—indicative of honourable past regimental service. In armies where regimental distinctions were less encouraged, like that of Germany, such distinctions were borne on the regimental colours rather than by the individual soldier; Britain bore them on the colours too.
The 20th century has seen both a reduction and a proliferation of badges and insignia. The two world wars necessitated the introduction of the formation sign as regiments became grouped together in formations, such as divisions and brigades, within their national armies. Regimental reductions and amalgamations have telescoped regimental heraldry, often rendering it complicated and contrived in the process. Ships have adopted badges and naval ratings copied soldiers in their range of proficiency and trade badges; air forces have inevitably followed suit. Developments post-1945 have been strongly influenced by American fashions in badges and, in those countries imitative of American uniform, soldiers of all ranks now wear more badges than ever before, especially when on parade. In the military headquarters on the continent of Europe, as at the Pentagon, the pendant metal enamelled badges of officers attached to formations such as SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe) accompany engraved plastic name-tags and laminated security passes hung from chains. The consistent thread of the badge's function as an identifier of friend and foe continues.
Bibliography
- Brook-Little, John P., Boutell's Heraldry (London, 1973).
- Cole, Howard, Formation Badges of World War 2 (London, 1793).
- Edwards, T. J., Regimental Badges (Aldershot, 1951).
- May, William E., Carman, William Y., and Tanner, John, Badges and Insignia of the British Armed Services (London, 1974)
— Stephen Wood
