Fovant Badges

The Fovant Badges are a set of regimental badges cut into a chalk hill, Fovant Down, near Fovant, Wiltshire, England. They were created by soldiers garrisoned nearby, and waiting to go to France, during the First World War, the first in 1916,[1] and are clearly visible from the A30 road which runs through the village. Eight of the original twenty remain, and are scheduled ancient monuments and recognised by the Imperial War Museum as war memorials.[1] Further badges have been added more recently.

The Fovant Badge Society holds an annual Drumhead Service which is attended by the Australian High Commissioner, local mayors and members of parliament. These services fund the upkeep of the badges.

Contents

Construction

After the outlines were cut into the grass-covered hillsides, they were refilled with chalk brought from a nearby slope, up to 50 tons per badge.[1] The badges took an average fifty men six months to complete.[1]

The badges

Reading left to right (north-east to south-west), the badges at Fovant are:[2]

  1. Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (only central part remaining)[3]
  2. YMCA[4] it is intended to allow this non-military badge to fade away.[5]
  3. 6th (City of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (Rifles)[6]
  4. Australian Commonwealth Military Forces (the largest, 51m×32m)[7]
  5. Royal Corps of Signals (cut in 1970 to commemorate the Corps' 50th anniversary)[8]
  6. Wiltshire Regiment (added in 1950)[9]
  7. London Rifle Brigade[10]
  8. Post Office Rifles[11]
  9. Devonshire Regiment[12]

Two as-yet unrestored military badges at Sutton Down (Royal Warwickshire Regiment and the 7th Battalion, The City of London Regiment) and an outline map of Australia on Compton Down are also looked after by the Society.[4]

Nearby

Fovant Down is also the site of Chiselbury Iron age hillfort.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Countryfile, BBC, 6 Nov 2011
  2. ^ Bing aerial imagery, accessed 7 November 2011
  3. ^ "Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_y.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  4. ^ a b "Unrestored Memorials". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/unrestored.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  5. ^ "History of the Fovant Badges". Fovant Badge Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/his_det.htm. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 
  6. ^ "The 6th City Of London Regiment Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_sa.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  7. ^ "Australian Imperial Force Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_au.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  8. ^ "Royal Corps of Signals Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_co.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  9. ^ "Wiltshire Regiment Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_wil.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  10. ^ "London Rifle Brigade Badge". Fovant Badges Society. 1915-05-13. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_lo.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  11. ^ "Post Office Rifles Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_po.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 
  12. ^ "Devonshire Regiment Badge". Fovant Badges Society. http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_de.htm. Retrieved 2011-11-07. 

External links