2nd Battalion Painted Sign

Each element of such a sign denotes a level within the hierachy of an army - you just have to know what the symbols mean. The 2nd Battalion reconstituted following the battle of France 1940 and deployed to India in 1942. The three design elements on the notice show the battalion’s position in the order of battle of General Bill Slim’s 14th Army. The two white crossed keys on a black background was chosen in 1940 to represent the second British Infantry Division. The red square stands for the most senior of the three infantry brigades in an Infantry Division; for the 2nd Division at this date it was the 4th Brigade. The white 56 is the Unit Serial Number of the Brigade’s number two Battalion, which in this case was 2nd Battalion, Royal Norfolks. Britannia was adopted as the cap badge of the Ninth of Foot, later the Norfolk Regiment, after the battle of Almanza in 1707 and confirmed officially in 1799.