Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Miller
I'm having some trouble working out which is the correct pattern cap badge for this unit.
Every wm (and gm) Invicta badge on E bay these days seems to be labeled "Kent Cyclist" presumably because this would make them more valuable.
There appear to be several styles of Horse and "Invicta" in plain capitals & gothic script, K&K appears to show the same version as Gaylor who states that it was the same badge as used by the Kent Yeomanry.
Churchill shows the collar badge with the wider scroll (see below) but I haven't seen a cap badge of this pattern although there was a small collar sized badge on E Bay recently with a slider fitted?
Any advice gratefully receaved  Rob. |
It's a real minefield and as you quite rightly point out the books are not much help. I have two distinctively different cap badges one with loops and another with a shank but which is Cyclists or Yeomanry is anyone's guess. What is certain though is that the one you see more often than not with a very think nosed, almost horizontal horse's head is a repro or fake (I won't say restrike as I've yet to see a genuine one like it).
For those with Gothic script I've seen them sold as Dartford School OTC but whether this is correct or not I don't know.
Similar collars were worn by all sorts of public services across Kent, fireman, police, ambulancemen and I've heard even milkmen!
After a spat on another thread I'm tempted not to post pictures but as this is a subject I'd like information on in this case I will. I was actually in Maidstone Museum late yesterday afternoon and they have a very respectable collection of badges on display including a dedicated West Kent Cyclists cabinet with some lovely titles, the cap badge they have has the head at an angle similar to my looped one, hence my putting it as WK Cyclists (if you hang the cursor over the picture).