Gorget, Captain Alan Campbell, Breadalbane Fencibles, 1793-1799

Gilt metal, crescent-shaped gorget, with raised rim and suspension holes in each end; engraved design of the embellished royal cypher 'GR', for George III, with the ends of the letters extended to form foliate flanking sprays, surmounted by a crown; with fastening ribbon and rosette.

A gorget was originally a piece of armour which protected the throat. By the eighteenth century, it had become much smaller and was worn by officers when on duty, as a symbol of their status.

Originally raised in 1793 for home defence in Scotland, the Breadalbane Fencibles also served in Ireland from 1795 until 1802. The Fencible regiments were raised for home service so that regular Army units could be released for service abroad during the Wars of the French Revolution (1793-1802). Alongside the Militia, they would defend the country against the threat of invasion by the French.