Pugri badge, officer, 1st Brahmans, 1901-1922

Silver plate badge in the form of a pair of upright fish with the regimental number, '1', between them, above a scroll bearing the year, '1776'.

The pugri or pagri is a form of headdress.

The date on the badge is significant as this unit was originally raised in 1776 as the 30th Battalion of the Bengal Army. The twin fishes represent Oudh where the battalion was recruited from. It became the senior regiment of the Bengal Army (indicated by the numeral '1'). It was designated as the 1st Brahman Infantry in 1901 and became the 1st Brahmans two years later. The battalion largely served on the North West Frontier during World War One (1914-1918), followed by Aden in 1918. In the 1922 reorganisation of the Indian Army, it was re-badged as the 4th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment and disbanded in 1931.

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.