Gibraltar is the only battle honour on the cap badge of the Royal Marines. A break down of the entire cap badge:
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The Lion and Crown- denotes a Royal Regiment. The Corps was granted Royal status by King George III on the 29th April 1802.
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Gibraltar- the only battle honour on the Royal Marines cap badge and colours. It represents the successful capture of Gibraltar in 1704 by Royal and Dutch Marines and the following 9month siege by much larger Spanish and French forces.
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Laurel Wreaths- awarded to the Corps in recognition of their gallantry at the battle of Belle Island in 1761.
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The Great Globe- awarded to the Corps by King George IV in 1827 to show their multiple successes around the world.
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The Fouled Anchor- introduced to the cap badge of the Royal Marines in 1747 to
represent the Corps’ close partnership with the Royal Navy.
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‘Per Mare, Per Terram’- the Corps’ motto ‘By Sea, By Land’
The Corps Colours
The following are the Corps colours, in sequence and proportion:
Blue 4 part - Yellow 1 part -Green 1 part -Red 2 parts -Blue 4 parts
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Blue
Navy blue is the primary colour in the combination selected. it marks the intimate connection of the Corps with the RN. Blue was the colour of the facings on the uniform for over 100 years.
Red
Drummer red is the secondary colour in the design. This tint of red is the old historic colour of the British Army and was worn by the infantry of the Corps from early times down to the introduction of scarlet in 1876. Green
Light Infantry green was worn on the shako by the infantry of the Corps for some years. It was perpetuated in the bugle strings of the RMLI.
Yellow
Old gold, rather than yellow, is the colour closely associated with the early history of the Corps, as it was the distinctive colour of the dress and ensigns of the Duke of York and Albany's Maritime Regiment of Foot from which the Corps originates.
