The Regimental Replicas Story

Bill Baddeley, by trade a printer, founded the company in the late 1960's because of his long standing military connections. Bill joined the TA (Territorial Army) as a boy soldier in 1937, with pay of one shilling a day (5 pence in today's money!). In 1938 he received his only 100% payrise, when he became an adult soldier on two shillings a day! Bill served throughout World War Two and continued as a TA soldier afterwards, returning to his original trade. In the mid-60's defence 'cuts' were announced, including the amalgamation of many of the South East's regiments (The Buffs, The Royal West Kents, The Royal Sussex, The Middlesex, The Queen's Royal Surreys and the East Surreys) to form 3 regular battalions of The Queen's Regiment.

The Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment is the oldest regiment of foot in England followed by the Buffs - East Kent Regiment, and thus the second oldest regiment of foot in the British Army, the senior being the Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), raised in 1632 in Edinburgh, one of their nick-names being "Pontious Pilate's Bodyguard"!

Bill formed part of the Board of Officers tasked with the disposal of the Regimental property of the Royal West Kent Regiment and many friends who had served with them rang him to ask if there might be and old drum 'going spare' and needing a good home! Eventually the Regimental Council decided to give all the drums to an Army Cadet Force for their Corps of Drums - but the seeds of an idea were sown in Bill's mind.

Full-size drums, traditionally emblazoned by hand, are very expensive, because of the hours it takes a painter to emblazon one with paint and with gold and silver leaf. Bill experimented with miniature replica drums - and our proudest possession is the first one he ever made, and exact miniature replica of a drum of the Royal West Kent Regiment. This somewhat larger than today's drum ice buckets, made of plywood so that a plastic ice bucket would fit inside, and beautifully printed, using goldleaf.

Shortly afterwards, Bill came up with the design we all know, love - and still make today! In 1984 on retirement Bill sold Regimental Replicas and, in the following years, it changed hands several times.  In 2006 the company was bought by Rosie-Anne Yates and is today based on the Dorset/Somerset border between Gillingham and Wincanton.

Regimental Replicas' move from Kent to Somerset took place in January 1995. We discovered that all the written records had been destroyed but the amazing Central Artwork Record was intact, enabling us to continue producing these detailed and accurately scaled drum emblazon designs.

We worked initially to produce the new emblazons resulting from Regimental amalgamations announced in the 1991 defence 'cuts'. Of particular interest was the emblazon for The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) where we worked very closely with their Regimental Secretary in Inverness and the President of the Pipes and Drums, 1st Battalion, then stationed in Northern Ireland. The four antecedent regiments held, between them, a total of 91 emblazoned Battle Honours - a great many to fit into a small space! Full-size emblazons were printed first, to fit their side, tenor and bass drums and these were first seen by the general public at the Festival of Remembrance, in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1996. The incredibly intricate design was then scaled down to fit the 6.5" high drum ice buckets!

Since then a number of emblazons have been revised, following the announcement of Battle Honours for the Gulf War in 1991, including the unique Battle Honour "IRAQ 1991" awarded only to the SAS.

We were also aware that a few of the emblazon designs were incorrect, although all would have been originally commissioned by the Regiment or Corps concrned. Work is currently underway to revise and correct the emblazon of the Army Air Corps where Regimental Replicas are working with their Regimental Colonel, following the decision of the Army Air Corps' Regimental Council that the design must be accurate!

With all the present-day Regiments and Corps of the British Army included in our list of designs (with the exception of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps), we look abroad for further commissions and challenges. Regimental Replicas' old-fashioned screen printing skills must be retained, to enable us to continue these unique items. As example, we screenprint the Royal Marines emblazon in 14 colours to fit their Bands' side, tenor and bass drums, and we then scale down the emblazon to just 6" x 4" to make their Bandsmens' March (backing) Cards, seen on their instruments to hold their music in place.

In the last two years the company has been asked to produce several new designs for both the military and civilian markets e.g. Ipswich Football Club, and welcomes new projects and commissions.