Editing 3rd East Anglian Regiment (section)

==Badges and dress distinctions==
The regiment's badge consisted of a [[French Imperial Eagle|Napoleonic eagle]] enclosed within the [[Order of the Garter|Garter]], combining elements of the insignia of the two merging units. The Garter had formed part of the badge adopted by the then Bedfordshire Regiment in 1898, while the Napoleonic eagle was the collar badge of the Essex Regiment from 1947.<ref>AL Kipling and HL King, ''Head-dress badges of the British Army'', Volume I, London 1979</ref><ref>Colin Churchill, ''History of the Britiah Army Infantry Collar Badge'', Uckfield, 2001</ref> The eagle of the French 62nd Regiment was captured by one of the regiment's predecessors at the [[Battle of Salamanca]] in 1812.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/tour6.html |title=The Salamanca Eagle |publisher=Royal Anglian Regiment Museum |access-date=9 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123192002/http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/tour6.html |archive-date=23 January 2011}}</ref>

The eagle and garter badge appeared in the centre of the [[Military colours|colours]] presented to the 1st battalion on 30 May 1959.<ref>Eric Hamiltion, ''Bulletin of the Military Historical Society, Special Issue No.1: Colours of the regular army infantry of the line, 1st July 1881 to 1958'', London, 1968</ref>

A common cap badge and buttons were worn by all regular battalions of the [[East Anglian Brigade]] from 1958. The 3rd East Anglian Regiment's uniform was distinguished by eagle and garter collar badges and by the wearing of a lanyard of pompadour purple. The purple lanyard had been worn by the Essex Regiment, having originally been the facing colour of the [[56th Regiment of Foot]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/symbols.html |title=Symbols and Badges |publisher=Royal Anglian Regiment Museum |access-date=9 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905205611/http://www.royalanglianmuseum.org.uk/symbols.html |archive-date=5 September 2008}}</ref> The regiment also had a distinctive [[stable belt]], black with purple stripes edged in amber, a combination of those of the two constituents.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stablebelts.co.uk/3rdeastanglian.html|title=3rd East Anglian Regiment |publisher=Stable belts|access-date=9 September 2016}}</ref>

The collar badges and lanyard of the 3rd East Anglians continued to be worn by the 3rd battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment after the 1964 amalgamation. Since 1992, when the battalion was disbanded, all parts of the Royal Anglians wear a gold eagle on a purple backing as an arm badge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ams.mod.uk/content/docs/jsp336/3rd_ed/vol12/pt3/pam15/s6ac.doc  |title=Special Arm Badges |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=9 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609235752/http://www.ams.mod.uk/content/docs/jsp336/3rd_ed/vol12/pt3/pam15/s6ac.doc |archive-date=2007-06-09 |url-status=dead}}</ref>