Officiating Chaplain's Badge. The badge is in the form of a brooch. Upon an oval wreath in laurel and oak gilt, the Cross in silver. In the centre of the Cross, a circle in gilt on a blue enamel ground with the motto "In This Sign Conquer" pierced; within the circle a quatrefoil voided. The whole ensigned by the Imperial Crown in gilt.
1953 to date
On the accession of HM the Queen Elizabeth II the Imperial Crown was replaced by the Tudor or Elizabethan Crown in all RAChD badges and insignia.
The significance of the Badge (An unofficial description from the booklet "A Short Guide to Bagshot Park"
This badge dates from 1930, When it was approved by HM King George V. The badge possesses some unique features. The motto is a literal translation of those words seen by the Emperor Constantine I (AD 274-33), F1avius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus, Emperor of Rome, who defeated Maxentuis at the decisive victory of' the Milvain Bridge near Rome on 28th October, 312. A flaming Cross appeared at noon-day in the sky with the the words "By this conquer" during the battle, whereupon Constantine (according to his own narrative to the philosopher Eusebius): was converted to Christianity, with the result that the Labarum or standard of the Cross, was adopted as the Roman Army's emblem (AD 323); and more significantly tho Edict of Milan (AD 313) restoring all forfeited civil and religious rights to the Christians, and securing them full and equal toleration throughout the Roman Empire.
It is said that when the original design for the badge was shown to King George V he noticed that the motto was in Latin. He is said to have remarked that he doubted if any British soldier knew what the Latin meant and suggested that it would be better in English. The blue background of the badge represents the Order of the Garter, whilst the wreath} with its two types of leaf, again a unique distinction represents Victory (the laurel) and Eternity or Strength (the oak) perhaps symbolising the Victory of the Christian Faith for ever.
It is believed that the RAChD badge is the only one with such a distinctive wreath as no other Army of any country appears to use different leaves for each of the two segments of a wreath.
Music
The Regimental March Past of the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department is ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ by Jeremiah Clarke. Published Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.
The march was arranged in the mid 1960s by Lieut Col Basil H Brown OBE ARCM whilst he was director of music at Kneller Hall. He originally arranged it in the key of E flat major – a good key for a trumpet solo, but too high for parade work. Professor Jack Mackintosh suggested lowering it and this works very well indeed.
(Information supplied by Gordon Turner)