Royal Canadian Dragoons

[Maxwell]

Hi all
I have just picked up this badge as part of a job lot, I am no badge expert so am looking for some guidance please,.

I have done some basic searching and believe it is Royal Canadian Dragoons - but it does not have the lower scroll.

It seems to be in a bronze/copper base which has at some time been silvered and the two lugs removed.

It is maker marked P.W.Ellis & Co, (pre-dating the addition of Ltd.) which a bit of googling led me to the Canadian badge maker. It seems to have a date beneath which could be 1913 ?

I have been a Forum member for a while but am a bit of a novice when it comes to posting so apologies if I have posted in the wrong place.

Feedback welcomed.

Dave

[peter monahan]

"During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), during the advance to Pretoria, the RCD set up camp in a field. Regimental legend has it that one of the sentries noticed that some springbok were behaving erratically, and alerted the officers, who ordered a stand-to. This resulted in the defeat of Boer forces that had been trying to sneak up through the fields to attack the Canadian force. However, there is no documentary evidence of this incident. The Commanding Officer at that time, Lt.-Col. Louis Lessard, makes no mention of it in his personal papers or his official reports. It is more accurate to state that the RCD wear the springbok as a recognition for the regiment's sterling service in South Africa. The commander of the RCD then put a request to King Edward VII, the reigning monarch, to officially have their cap badge changed to the springbok, which was finally accepted in 1913."

This may be an early prototype badge, sans scroll, or something manufactured by the regiment to commemorate the change in badge.

[Bill A]

Hi Maxwell, You have a collar badge for the RCD's introduced circa 1905-08. They caused a bit of a problem, as the horns on the springbok often protruded above the stand up collar and cut the wearer. A second much smaller version was adopted, correcting the issue.

[Maxwell]

Peter and Bill - many thanks for the replies - I had not considered that it may be a collar badge as it seemed much too big, but that explains it, much appreciated.

Dave