Golden Spurs
The officers of marine "mounted" units (that is to say those formerly using horses, or currently armored vehicles) have the privilege of wearing gold spurs for certain occasions. This differs from the usual French cavalry practice of wearing silver spurs. Tradition has it that Queen Victoria of England requested this distinction for the marine troops from Emperor Napoleon III to honor the branch after the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimea (1854) where marine infantry saved British troops from destruction.
Read more about this topic: Troupes De Marine
Famous quotes containing the words golden and/or spurs:
“I had a little nut-tree, nothing would it bear
But a golden nutmeg and a silver pear;”
—Mother Goose (fl. 17th–18th century. I had a little nut-tree, nothing would it bear (l. 1–2)
“The west yet glimmers with some streaks of day.
Now spurs the lated traveller apace
To gain the timely inn.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)