Malta military badges, treasures of Malta

1. 70 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
Helmetplates,badgesandbuttonsatthe
ArmedForcesofMaltaOfficers’Mess
DenisA.Darmanin
AframeinthecollectionattheOfficers’MessoftheArmed
ForcesofMaltacontainsafineselectionofshakoandhelmet
plates,badgesandotheruniformdistinctionswornbytheRoyal
MaltaFencibleRegiment,theRoyalMaltaFencibleArtilleryand
theRoyalMaltaArtillery.Theseinsignia,allbeautifulexamples
ofmilitarycraftsmanshipwhichhavelongsincedisappeared,
eithertotimeorintocollections,portraytheheraldiclineageof
thesefamousregimentsandatributetothemenwhoworethem.
SincethearrivalofBritishtroopsinMaltain1798,Maltese
menwereenlistedinwhatweretermedastheMalteseCorpsof
theBritishArmy.1
Theforerunnersofallregimentsandcorps
weretheMalteseLightInfantryortheCacciatoriMaltesi(1800-
02),followedbytheMalteseProvincialBattalions,theMaltese
CoastArtilleryandtheMalteseVeterans(1802-15),theRoyal
RegimentofMalta(1805-11),andtheMaltesePioneers-Maltese
MilitaryArtificers,SappersandMiners(1806-17).
Fig.1
The framed collection, Armed Forces of Malta Officers’ Mess Holdings
(Photo: Justin Gatt, AFM Press Office)

2. 71 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
ProbablythenextMalteseregimenttoberaisedto
functionentirelyasa‘RegimentoftheLine’aftertheRoyal
RegimentofMaltawastheRoyalMaltaFencibleRegiment
(RMFR).ThisRegimentwasraisedin1815underthe
commandofLtColCountFrancisRivarola.Duringits
reasonablylonglife,theRegimentwasmainlyemployedinthe
defenceofthehomeland,hencetheword‘Fencible’.During
theabsenceofcertainBritishunitsfromtheisland,especially
duringtheCrimeanWar,theRMFRperformedgarrisonduties
andmannedthegunsonMalta’sfortificationsandcoastal
defences,inwhichitexcelled.
Fig. 2
Albert Shako, Grenadier Company
(Photo: The Military Gentleman)
Fig.3
Legend to the framed collection

3. 72 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
TheRMFRworethecrimsonuniform,or‘redcoat’,ofthe
BritishinfantryandwashonouredwithbluefacingsasaRoyal
Regiment.Throughoutitslife,theRMFRworetheprogressive
uniformstylesandcutsaswornbymostotherBritishand
Colonialinfantryregiments,untiltheintroductionofthetunic
in1855,whenalluniformsbecamestandardized.Manyofthese
uniformswereillustratedbyEdwardCaruanaDingli2
from
originalmaterialinthepersonalcollectionofColonelFrederick
GattCMG.Theuniformsoftheearlierunitswerebasedonthe
drawingsexecutedbyMajorJamesWier,RoyalMarines,whoasa
CaptaincommandedtheMalteseLightInfantry.
Headdressalsovariedaccordingtothetimeframeofthe
uniform.3
FirstwornbytheRMFRwasprobablytheRegency
Shako(1816-1829),followedbytheBell-toppedShako(1829-
1844),thenbywhatwasnotsoaffectionatelyknownasthe
AlbertShako(1844-1855),saidtohavebeendesignedinpartby
thePrinceConsort,andendingtheirservicewearingthe1855
Patternor‘FrenchPattern’Shako(1855-1861).4
Theframedcollection
Anengravedsilverplateatthetopoftheframe(No.1)records
thatthecollectionwaspresentedtotheMessbyColonelGeorge
VictorMicallefOBE,5
laterBrigadier,whocommandedthe
RoyalMaltaArtilleryfrom1966to1969.No.2isaveryrare
exampleofashakoplateaswornbyOfficersontheirbell-topped
shakofrom1829to1844.Itconsistsofagildedeight-pointed
starwithitstoppointbeingreplacedbyacrown.Atcentrearea
mountedovalstraporbeltwithfiligreetype,voidedRegimental
title‘ROYALMALTAFENCIBLEREGT.
’andanenamel
shieldwiththereversedcoloursoftheMalteseflag.Adrawing
inthePatternBookof1820-1840ofthefamousbadgeand
accoutrementmanufacturersJennens&Co.ofOxfordStreet,
London,sinceinaprivatecollection,showsasimilarshakoplate
forOtherRanksstruckentirelyinbrass.Ofaslightlylaterperiod
andofanidenticalpattern,No.3isthe‘UniversalPattern’shako
plateaswornontheAlbertShakobymostBritishregiments.6
Itisthesamepatterngildedstarandcrownwithamounted
designatcentreconsistingofanovalbeltwith‘ROYALMALTA
Fig.4
Foreign Service helmet
(Author’s collection)
Fig.5
1855 Pattern Shako, Line Company
(Photo: Michael Murrie-Jones)
Fig.6
Royal Malta Fencible Regiment, Officer Light Infantry Company c. 1830, by
R.J. Marrion
(Author’s collection)

4. 73 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
FENCIBLES’andavoidedMaltesecross,allsetinthickhalf
laurelandhalfpalmwreath.
Thenextshakoplate,No.4,consistsofaboundcircular
wreathofhalfoakandhalflaureltoppedbyacrown.7
Within
thewreathisabeltwiththeRegiment’sname,‘ROYAL
MALTAFENCIBLES’,andastringedbugleorhuntinghorn
atcentre.ThisplateissynonymouswiththeLight(Infantry)
Company.Itisinterestingtonotethatinasetofpencil
rubbingsofdiesheldinthearchivesoftheNationalArmy
MuseuminLondon,oneshowstheOfficer’sshakoplateofa
similarpatternasNo.3,butwitha‘bugle’or‘huntinghorn’.
Althoughnotknowingoftheexistenceofsuchaplateinany
collection,andsinceNo.4istheplateaswornbyasoldierof
theLightInfantryCompanyoftheRMFR,itistherefore
likelythattheCompany’sOfficersworeashakoplatewith
LightInfantrydistinctions.Anotheroftheserubbingsisof
anOfficer’sshakoplateoftheGrenadierCompany,againof
whichnoactualplatehasbeenencounteredbytheauthor.
Anothershakoplate,No.5,wasdepictedbyEdward
CaruanaDingliinhisillustrationofPrivate(LightCompany)
RoyalMaltaFencibleRegiment1844-55,8
whoiswearing
theAlbertshako.However,thispatternplatehadbeen
Fig.7
Author’simpressionsoftwoofthedierubbingsoftheRMFRshakoplates;left–OfficerGrenadierCompany,andright–
OfficerLightInfantryCompany
Fig.8
Artillery Officers’ shoulder belt and fittings
introducedmuchearlierandwaswornbyBritishinfantry
regimentsontheirBell-toppedshako.
Asecondplate(No.5)isidenticalexceptthatatcentreis
theshieldwiththeMaltesecolours;itislikelythatthiswasworn
bymostsoldiersoftheLineCompanies.
InterestingtonoteisthatthetitleoftheRegimentappears
oncertainappointmentsas‘ROYALMALTAFENCIBLES’
whileonothersas‘ROYALMALTAFENCIBLE
REGIMENT’.Althoughtodatenoofficialrecordsgivinga
validreasonhavebeenidentified,itcouldbethat‘Regiment’
wasdroppedfromthetitleduringthetransitionperiodofwhen
itwasconvertedintoanartillerycorps.
Asitwasveryactiveingarrisonandcoastalgunnery
duties,theRoyalMaltaFencibleRegimentwasconvertedinto
theRoyalMaltaFencibleArtilleryonthe25th
January1851;
itcomprised of headquarters and six batteries. On the 28th
July of that year, a blue artillery uniform with scarlet facings
similar to that worn by the Royal Regiment of Artillery
was worn by all ranks for the first time.9
The busby was
worn with the full dress, with Officers having a gilt grenade
plume-holder with a gilt belt inscribed ‘ROYAL MALTA
FENCIBLE ARTILLERY’ and a Maltese Cross in silver
at centre (No. 6). It is believed that for the first six years the
RMFA had retained most of the uniform as worn by the
Royal Artillery, possibly including insignia, but thus far no
official confirmation of this fact has been established.
AnotheritempertainingtotheRMFRisawaistbeltclasp,
No.8,whichbearstheRegiment’stitleonthefemalepart,and
adevicewiththeMalteseCrosssetwithinalaurelwreathand
toppedbyaQueenVictoriaCrown(QVC)onthemale.This
patternclaspwasforthewhitebuffbeltwornonthetunic
introducedin1855.
InMay1878,theregulationHomePatternHelmetor
HomeServiceHelmet,madeofcorkcoveredinblueclothwas
introducedfortheBritishArmy.AForeignServiceor‘white

5. 74 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
cork’helmetwasintroducedforhotclimatestations,for
whichtheRMFAworeaRegimentalpatternhelmetplatefor
thefirsttime.Thenewhelmetplateconsistedofabeltwith
‘ROYALMALTAFENCIBLEARTILLERY’andaMaltese
Crossinwhitemetalsetwithinawreathoflaurelandpalmat
centre,withafieldgunattheirbase,andthewholetoppedby
aQVC(No.7).Officersworetheirsingiltandsilver,while
thoseoftheOtherRankswereofbrassandwhitemetal.
TheballfinialandfittingswereintroducedforArtillery
RegimentsandselectiveCorpsbyGeneralOrder90of1881.
Nos.9and10aretwopatternsofwaistbeltplateswornby
theRMFR.Thefirst,No.9,isasmoothrectangularburnished
brassplatehavingamountedbeltandsilvercrossdeviceason
thebadges,andwaspossiblyanearlypatternwornbyOfficers
orSeniorNon-CommissionedOfficers.Thesecondpatternfor
Officers,No.10,isgilded,rimmedandhasafinelybeadedfield,
whilethebeltisgildedandtheCrossismadeofsilver.
Alternatively,wheninfulldress,Officersworeasword
beltof‘firegilt’artillerylaceofRegimentalpatternknown
as‘wavesandscallopedged’onredMoroccoleatheraround
thewaistwitha‘snakeclasp’fastener(No.34).Sincethe
Regimentwasgranteditsownappointments,theclaspworn
bytheRMFAandsuccessivelybytheRoyalMaltaArtillery
(renamedonthe23rd
March1889),hadtheMalteseCrosson
theoval‘buckles’and‘MALTA’onthesnake.Whenattending
statefunctions,StaffOfficersswitchedtotheOfficers’general
patterngildedwaistbeltclaspwiththe‘lionandcrown’
mountedinsilver(No.30).Onmostuniforms,OtherRanks
woreaplain‘snake’claspwhichwasfastenedtoametalloopat
eachendofthebelt(notshown).
WeatherOfficersworethe‘fulldress’goldlaceorthe
whitebuffpouchbelt,theendfastenersconsistingofagilt,
floriatedbucklewithamatchingsliderandaflaminggrenade
endornament(Nos.31,32and33).WhenOfficersworelesser
formsofdress,thepouchontheirbackswasdecoratedwitha
large,gildedfield-gundeviceontheflap(No.19).Asimilargun,
die-struckinbrasswaswornbyOtherRanks.
Brass‘seven-flamed’grenadesNos.22and27wereworn
byOtherRanksonthecollarsofbothfrockandtunic,andbrass
MalteseCrossesontheirshoulderstraps(No.20),alsowornby
Sergeantsontheirshoulderstraps,bywheninundress.From
1874,Officersdisplayedtheirrankdistinctionsbythedifferent
patternsofgoldbullion‘knots’ontheircuffs.Theuseofthe
MalteseCross,No.21,isuncertain,butcouldhavebeenan
unofficialornamentwornontheOfficers’MessDresslapels.
ThebuttonwornbytheRMFAwasthestandardRoyal
ArtillerybuttondepictingthreefieldgunstoppedbyaQVC
introducedin1855(No.23),whichin1873wasreplacedbya
buttonbearingthesingleguntoppedbyaQVC.10
OtherRanks’
Fig.9
RoyalMaltaFencibleArtillery,OfficerGroup,c.1880s
(PhotocourtesyofthelateBrigadierA.Samut-Tagliaferro)
Fig.10
ArtilleryOfficers’leatherpouch

6. 75 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
buttonswereofbrass,whileOfficers’buttonsweregilded(No.
28)andmountedforMessDress(No.23).11
WhentheRoyalMaltaFencibleArtillerybecame
theRoyalMaltaArtillery,anewbrassandwhitemetal
helmetplateforwearingontheForeignServiceHelmetwas
introduced(No.11).ItwasidenticaltothatwornbytheRoyal
MaltaFencibleArtillery,butwithouttheword‘Fencible’in
thetitle.TheOfficers’platewasgilded,andthatoftheOther
Rankswasinbrass.
Asecondhelmet-platefortheRoyalMaltaArtillery(No.
12)wasissuedtotheRegimentandapprovedbytheHorse
Guardsonthe17th
June,1891,tobewornbyallranksandby
mountedOfficersontheirhelmetsandontheblackleather
sabretache.Thisplatewasverysimilartothepreviousonebut
elongated,havingthegunfurtheratbottom.
MostoftheuniformdistinctionsoftheRMFA
continuedtobewornbytheRMA,exceptforwherethe
Regiment’snamewasdisplayed.TheOfficers’Regimental
patternwaistbeltplatechangedslightly,asthemounted
devicebecameacircularbeltwith‘ROYALMALTA
ARTILLERY’andasilverMalteseCrossatcentre,allwithina
wreathoflaurelandpalm,toppedbyaQVC(No.13).
AparticulargiltbuttontoppedbyanImperialCrown
(No.25),ispossiblytheonlyknownpatternbuttonbearing
theRegiment’sname.Itisacommonbeliefthatitwas
privatelypurchasedfromtheOfficers’MessFundstobeworn
byMessWaiterssometimebetween1890and1905.
In1899,anewbadge(No.14)wasissuedforfieldcap
andpuggri(orpuggaree),aclothwrappedaroundtheouter
headbandofthehelmet.Itcan bedescribedas:‘Withinagilt
circleinscribedROYALMALTAARTILLERY,aMaltese
Crossinsilveruponwhichisthefieldguningilt,aboveallisthe
VictorianImperialCrown’.12
Asalways,theOfficers’version
wasgiltandsilverandtheOtherRanks’inbrasswithawhite
metalcross.FollowingthedeathofQueenVictoriain1901,
thecrownonallbadges,devicesandbuttonswaschangedtoa
TudororKing’sCrown,exceptonthisbadge,whichcamelater
onthe20th
April1904.Apartfromthecrown,nootherchanges
weremadetothisbadge(Nos.15and18).
Between1910and1912,anewbadgewasintroduced
totheRMAforOfficers’ServiceDress(OSD);somewere
entirelyinbronze(No.17),whileothershadawhitemetal
cross(No.16),dependingonthemaker.Anotherversion
Fig.11
Royal Malta Fencible Artillery, 1876, by R. Simkin
cameslightlylaterfortheOfficers’FullDressforagecap,
whichhadthecirclewiththetitleinblueenamelandthe
Maltesecolours(notshown).Itisbelieved,butunconfirmed,
thatthisbadgewasmadesoastocorrecttheerroronall
previousidenticalbadgeswhichhadthered(verticalstripes)
oftheMalteseflaglocatedontheleftsideratherthanonthe
right.Thisbadgewaswornuntil1937.
AlongwiththebronzeOSDbadge,Officerswereissued
withbronzegrenadestobewornonthelapelsofthenewkhaki
‘opencollar’ServiceDress(No.24).Aroundthesametime,
brassgrenadeslikethosepreviouslywornbygunnersontheir
collarsbegantobewornbySergeantsandStaffSergeantsabove
theirchevronsonbothsleeves(No.22).In1907,acurvedbrass
shouldertitlewith‘R.M.A.’wasintroducedfortheServiceDress
wornbyOtherRanks(No.26). Thesesamegrenadesandtitles
werealsowornontheBattleDressfrom1937,untiltheywere
discardedin1961.

7. 76 · TreasuresofMalta 55,Christmas2012
SinceMaltesemilitariahasastrongfollowingby
researchersandcollectorsbothlocallyandoverseas,thisstudy
willcontinueinsomefutureissue,whereby alltheotherknown
badgesandinsigniaoftheformerMalteseCorpsoftheBritish
Armywillbefeatured.
DenisDarmaninservedintheArmedForcesofMaltaasanarmydiver,
andispartoftheHeritagePlanningUnitoftheMaltaEnvironmentand
PlanningAuthority.Hisresearchinterestsincludeuniformbuttonsand
late18th
-and19th
-centuryuniformsaswornbythearmedforcesofthe
OrderofStJohnandtheearlyMaltesecorpsoftheBritishArmy.Denis
hascontributednumerousarticlestomilitaryjournalsandistheauthorof
Pembroke,FromaBritishGarrisontoaModernCivilianTown.
Fig.12
‘Tailor’s Pattern’ of the 1891 plate
(Author’s collection)
Acknowledgements
BrigadierMartinG.Xuereb,Commander,ArmedForcesofMalta;
MajorIvanConsiglio,ArmedForcesofMalta(Retd);CaptainJohnStroud,House
MemberOfficers’MessCommittee,ArmedForcesofMalta;LBdrJustinGatt,
OfficialPhotographer,ArmedForcesofMalta;ThelateBrigadierAnthonySamut-
TagliaferroMBE,RoyalMaltaArtillery/ArmedForcesofMalta;ThelateMajor
AlanGHarfieldMBE,RoyalSignals;ThelateW.Y.Carman,RenéChartrand,
formerChiefArchivistParksCanada;SamGiordmainaandAnthonyJ.Bugeja.
Notes
1 Denis A. Darmanin, ‘Anglo-Maltese Uniform Buttons’, Treasures of
Malta, Vol. IX, No. 3 (Summer, 2003).
2 A.G. Chesney, Historical Records of the Maltese Corps of the British Army
(London, 1897).
3 ArthurL.KiplingandHughL.King,HeaddressBadgesoftheBritishArmy,1800-
1918,Vo.l.1(UK,1974).
4 BryanFostenandGaryGibs,‘TheBritishInfantryShako,1800-1897’,The
MilitaryHistoricalSociety,SpecialNumber(UK,2008).
5 BrigadierGeorgeV.MicallefMOMCBE:CommissionedintotheRoyal
MaltaArtilleryalmostdirectfromUniversityin1939.GeorgeMicallef
(98282)tookpartinthefirstphaseofthedefenceofMalta.Heserved
withfiveAnti-AircraftBatteryof2AARegimentRMAatAAPosition
DelimaraatacriticaltimebeforebeingpostedtoEgyptinMay1940.He
returnedinMay1942toserveasbatterycommanderwiththe2AARegi-
mentuntil1945.Hehadadistinguishedpost-warmilitarycareerinclud-
ingcommandoftheRoyalMaltaArtillery.http://www.military-art.com/
mall/profiles.php?SigID=755.
6 Denis A. Darmanin, ‘Shako Plates of the Royal Malta Fencible Regi-
ment’, The Bulletin, The Military Historical Society, Vol. 46, No. 183 (UK,
February 1996).
7 Ibid.
8 Chesney,op.cit(1897).
9 AnthonySamut-Tagliaferro,HistoryoftheRoyalMaltaArtillery1800-
1939,Vol.1(Malta,1976).
10 HowardRipley,ButtonsoftheRegularArmy1855-2000(UK,2002);
illustrationsbyDenisA.Darmanin.
11 Darmanin, op. cit (2003).
12 Denis A. Darmanin, ‘The Badge of the Armed Forces of Malta and its
Lineage’, On Parade (Armed Forces of Malta), Issue No. 5 (Progress Press
2010).