MILITARY INSIGNIA. Devices used to distinguish the various corps, branches, ranks, and grades of the military and naval services. In all the armies of the world it has been found necessary to employ badges and devices to mark the necessary distinctions incident to such organi zations. The term insignia is here employed to include such badges, devices, etc., in eontradis tinction to equipment, clothing, etc. The custom in Europe is a natural result of the evolution of the various countries both politically and mili tantly, and in the case of England particul:o•ly the badges. mottoes, and devices used by the various regiments are emblematic of conspicuous incidents in their history and not infrequently have been taken in battle from sonic regiment of the enemy.
Commencing with the insignia distinguishing the various grades of rank, German usage may he described at length, seeing that its system in a. large measure obtains in every other army in Europe. Throughout the Imperial Army the epaulets of all commissioned ranks are crescent shaped. The various grades are distinguished as follows: (1) General field-marshal, two batons (staffs of command crosswise over each other).
(2) General-in-Chief, three stars. (3) General of the infantry. cavalry, or artillery. colonel. captain, two stars. (4) Lieutenant-general, Ihm tenant-colonel, first lieutenant, one star; major generals, majors. and second lieutenants do not wear a star. Second and first lieutenants and captain wear epaulets having a gold rim but no trimming; colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors wear epaulets with gold rims and silver trimming. The general field-marshal, general in-chief, lieutenant-general, and major-general are distinguished by the silver rims and silver trimming of the epaulets. The non-commissioned ranks are distinguished by the gold or silver lace on the collars, cuffs, and facings of the tunics. On the shoulder-straps is the number of the soldier and the monogram of his regiment. The various arms of the service are also distinguished by the eolor of the tunic for instance, in fantry regiments have red lace. On the right side of every German soldier's helmet is placed the black, white, and red cockade of the German Empire, while the cockade on the left side indi eates the particular State of the Gentian Con federation to which the regiment, belongs, as fol lows: Prussia, blaek-white; Bavaria, white-sky blue; Ilamburg-Bremen-Lubeek, white with red cross; Saxony, white-green, Wiirttemberg, black red: Baden, yellow-red; Hesse, white-red; Mecklenburg. sky blue-yellow-red; Oldenburg, white-dark blue with. red cross; Saxe-Weimar, yellow-green: Brunswick, sky blue-yellow; An halt, green; Saxon duchies, green-white; Lippe, yellow-red; Schaumburg- Lippe, white-red; Wal deck, yellow-red ; Scriwa rzburg-Sondershausen, white-dark blue; Sehwarzburg-ltudolstadt, dark blue-white; neu6s. yellow-red. Other distinguish
ing marks between the various services of the German Army are found in the color of their uniform, for which see UNIFoRms. MILITARY.
In the British Army insignia plays an impor tant part. It is used as much to encourage esprit de corps as a mark of distinction hetween regi ments. There is a large degree of variety in the badges in use among the various regiments of the army, most of them reminiscent of stirring periods in regimental histoty. In 1836 the King commanded that an account should he published concerning the insignia, badges, devices, etc., of the regiments of the army, together with the particulars recounting the reasons for their ex istence. The result was a very excellent history of the British Army. The introduction of the territorial system in ISSI destroyed in a measure the individuality of the regiment and made it a part of the territorial district to which it was assigned. In the effort to still further bind the regiment and its district together the attempt was made by the military administration to abolish much of the insignia formerly character istic of the different regiments. The attempt, however, created so much opposition and ill will among all ranks of the army that a compromise was effected, and.to-day nearly all the old de vices are employed, the expense usually being borne by the otlivers of the regiment. The au thorized and unauthorized badges include the royal arms (in the case of the guards and all other regiments distinguished by the prefix `royal'), the whole o• part of numerous orders, and other royal honors. Still others are purely regimental. i.e. badges distinguishing regiment. of the same arm, as castles, arms of counties and cities, the Prussian eagle, the French eagle, the death's head, the elephant, the antelope, tiger, dragon of \Vales, dragon of China, the sphinx of Egypt (this is worn by the thirty regiments who served in the first English expedition against the French in Egypt). the Paschal Laid), the white horse of Hanover, the white horse of Kent. the lion of England, a gun. a grenade. the bugle (all light infantry and ride regiments are distinguished by this badge), the bear and ragged staff, the figure of Britannia. Saint George and the dragon, the harp and crown. the shamrock (as in the case of the newly formed Irish guards), the S'euttish thistle, the Cross of Saint Andrews, and many others. The royal arms are borne by the Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery, the difference between them being in the mottoes, Quo Pax et Gloria ducant and Ubique. With the latter motto is coupled an artillery gun.