Item number: M492

Year: AD 1844-1855

Material: Gilt

Size: 128.5 x 112.4 x 9.0 mm

Weight: 64.35 g

Provenance: C & T Auctioneers Valuers 2026

This is a headdress (or shako plate) of the 98th Regiment of Foot, which was predominantly stationed in India between AD 1844 and AD 1855. It was attached to the Albert shako of that period.

At the centre of the plate is the numeral ’98’, representing the regimental number of the infantry unit. It is encircled by an oval garter which, judging by the segmented belt and circular buckle, likely signifies an officer’s waist belt. Inscribed upon the garter is ‘REGIMENT’, denoting its regimental status. This is further surrounded by a laurel wreath, with a scroll at the intersection inscribed with the battle honour ‘CHINA’. Together with the walking dragon passant positioned below, it commemorates the regiment’s distinguished service in the First Anglo-Chinese Opium War of AD 1842. The emblem situated between the ‘CHINA’ scroll and the dragon sculpture appears to represent the three ostrich feathers of the Prince of Wales, a device that has progressively become the exclusive symbol of the heir apparent since the seventeenth century. The entire composition is superimposed upon an eight-pointed star base, the apex of which is surmounted by St Edward’s Crown, symbolizing British royal authority. The reverse of the plate features two wire loops and a split pin used to secure the insignia to the headdress.

The 98th Regiment of Foot of the British Army was initially raised in AD 1760 and disbanded shortly thereafter in AD 1763; it was re-formed in AD 1779 and subsequently dissolved following the reduction of forces at the conclusion of the American War of Independence in AD 1784. It was not until AD 1824, in response to the expanding imperial commitments and the increasing demand for global military garrisons, that the British government decided to restore or add independent infantry regimental numbers, thereby facilitating the final reconstitution of the 98th Regiment of Foot. Following this restoration, Colonel Colin Campbell—a veteran who had achieved great renown during the Peninsular War and would later serve as Commander-in-Chief during the Indian Mutiny, eventually being created Field Marshal Lord Clyde—assumed command of the regiment. In AD 1842, the 98th Regiment deployed to the Far East to participate in the First Opium War, marking the first major military campaign for the unit since its reorganization. Although the regiment achieved significant military success during the operations in China, it was ravaged by a catastrophic cholera epidemic brought about by the local climate and deplorable sanitary conditions. In an effort to treat the stricken soldiers, the regimental surgeon, Dr J. Collis Browne, formulated a novel compound. While the remedy ultimately proved ineffective against cholera, it demonstrated remarkable efficacy in alleviating various gastrointestinal complaints and diarrhoea, and has survived to posterity under the name ‘Chlorodyne’. Following the conclusion of the China campaign, the 98th Regiment was transferred to Calcutta, India, in AD 1846, and was subsequently deployed in the Second Anglo-Sikh War in AD 1848. Although the regiment missed several of the pivotal battles of the war, it was subsequently awarded the ‘Punjaub’ battle honour for its participation in the overall campaign. Thereafter, the regiment was stationed for a considerable duration on the North-West Frontier of India, taking part in the operations in the Kohat Pass in AD 1851. In AD 1855, following protracted overseas service, the regiment returned to the United Kingdom for rehabilitation, before being redeployed to India in AD 1858 to participate in the military suppression of the Sittana Field Force. After years of arduous service in India, the 98th Regiment was transferred to Ireland for a seven-year garrison tour, followed by a two-year deployment to the West Indies. In AD 1875, the regiment moved to Malta in the Mediterranean, where the men were re-armed with the Martini-Henry rifle. In AD 1876, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) personally visited Malta to present new Colours to the regiment. To commemorate this historic royal visit, the unit was formally granted the royal title and designated ‘The 98th (The Prince of Wales’s) Regiment of Foot’.

物件編號: M492

年代: 公元 1844-1855 年

材質: 鍍金

尺寸: 128.5 x 112.4 x 9.0 mm

重量: 64.35 g

來源: C & T Auctioneers Valuers 2026

這是公元1844至1855年間，主要駐紮於印度的「第98步兵團」帽徽。縫於當時的阿爾伯特式夏科軍帽上。

帽徽中央為「98」，即該步兵團番號。其外有腰帶環繞成橢圓形，從分段式的腰帶和圓形繫環來看，可能是軍官的配件腰帶。腰帶上書「REGIMENT」，即「軍團」，意指團級單位。其外再以月桂葉冠環繞，交錯處有飄帶，上書「CHINA」，與其下昂首步行的龍紋一同表彰了部隊於公元1842年參與中英鴉片戰爭的榮譽。「CHINA」飄帶與龍紋雕飾間的圖樣，可能是代表威爾士親王的三根鴕鳥羽毛，自十七世紀起逐漸成為威爾士親王的專屬象徵。其下襯以八芒星。星芒頂端則是象徵英國王權的聖愛德華王冠。而帽徽的背面有兩個圓環與將其固定在帽子上的開口銷。

英國陸軍第98步兵團首次成立於公元1760年，不久後在公元1763年被裁撤；隨後在公元1779年再次組建，並於公元1784年美國獨立戰爭結束後因部隊縮編而解散。直到公元1824年，為了應對大英帝國在全球擴張中日益增長的軍事派駐需求，英國政府決定再度恢復或增設部分獨立的步兵團番號，因而促成了第98步兵團在歷史上的最後一次成軍。部隊重建後，由曾在半島戰爭中立下赫赫戰功、後來在印度民族起義中擔任總指揮並獲封陸軍元帥的科林·坎貝爾（Colin Campbell）上校出任團長。公元1842年，第98步兵團遠赴遠東參加了第一次鴉片戰爭，這也是該部隊在重組後首次經歷的重大軍事行動。在中國作戰期間，雖然戰功顯赫，但由於當地的氣候與惡劣衛生條件，部隊遭受了極為嚴重的霍亂疫情肆虐。當時該團的軍醫考利斯·布朗（Collis Browne）為了救治士兵，在軍中研發出了一種新型藥劑。雖然此藥最終被證明對治療霍亂無效，但因對緩解各種腸胃不適和腹瀉有顯著療效，在後世以「布朗氯 lodine」（Chlorodyne，即著名的百浪多糖/氯碘安定胃藥前身）之名流傳至今。 在中國戰役結束後，第98步兵團於公元1846年移防印度加爾各答等地，並在公元1848年投入了在印度爆發的第二次錫克戰爭。儘管他們錯過了該場戰爭中幾次最核心的主要決戰，但仍因其參與的整體軍事行動，於事後獲頒了「旁遮普」（Punjaub）戰功榮譽。此後，該團長期駐紮於印度的西北邊境，並曾於公元1851年參與了科哈特山口（Kohat Pass）的作戰。公元1855年，由於長年的海外服役，該團返回本土修整，公元1858年派駐印度，並參與針對錫塔納（Sittana）野戰部隊的軍事鎮壓行動。在印度服役多年後，第98步兵團隨後轉往愛爾蘭駐防七年，並在西印度群島派駐了兩年。公元1875年，該團移防至地中海的馬爾他，並在當地換裝了馬提尼-亨利步槍（Martini-Henry rifle）。公元1876年，時任威爾斯親王（即後來的英國國王愛德華七世）親自前往馬爾他為該團主持了新軍旗的授旗儀式。為了紀念這次歷史性的訪問，該部隊正式被特許冠以皇家頭銜，定名為「威爾斯親王屬第98步兵團」。