The shoulder-belt plate on the left has a Victorian crown above the oval centre, and a similar silver crown on the thistle. This dates the plate as 1881-1902. The right hand plate has King’s crowns instead, dating it after 1902.
In 1873 the title of the Regiment became the 79th Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, but in 1881 regimental numbering was discontinued and the Cameron Highlanders were obliged to continue without the number that had engendered so much regimental pride. Photos such as the portrait of Lt- Colonel J M Hunt show that the previous shoulder-belt plate, having LXXIX within a crowned wreath of thistles, continued to be worn. However, officers joining the regiment after 1881 would have had to purchase the pattern shown here.
The symbol of the crowned thistle was granted to the regiment in 1873 when they became a Royal regiment. The Sphinx was their battle honour for their part in the Egypt campaign of 1801. They were later to earn the battle honour EGYPT 1882 as well as TEL-EL-KEBIR and NILE 1884-85 for their arduous campaigns in the 1880s, giving the Sphinx honour even greater resonance. The design of the Sphinx varied as can be seen in these two belt plates.
