Looking to ID this elephant badge - British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

slick_mick · #1 05-03-20, 11:17 PM

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to this elephant badge. One of our forum members generously gave this to me however he wasn't sure what unit wore this and thought it may be cavalry related.

It looks Indian made to me and I was thinking its possibly a locally made pouch badge.

Any suggestions?

Regards,

Mick

Tinto · #2 06-03-20, 12:12 AM

Hi Mick,
It looks very like the centre of a plaid brooch for the 74th (Highland) Regiment of Foot, forerunner of the Highland Light Infantry.
In Bloomer's book it's dated 1849.
Cheers, John

Found a link to similar badge:
https://m.bonhams.com/auctions/18001/lot/902/

slick_mick · #3 06-03-20, 01:43 AM

Thanks John.

It could well be. They did serve in India and the badge does look to have a bit of age about it.

Wikipedia states that "The regiment embarked for India in 1854 and helped to suppress the Indian Rebellion in 1857 before returning home in 1864."

Mick

peter monahan · #4 06-03-20, 02:01 PM

The 74th serving in India is significant, I think. There is a huge industry on the sub-continent [India and Pakistan] in producing 'military badges' for sale to local tourist and for export to anyone who will buy them. This has the hall marks of such a 'bazaar made' item: inferior casting and really primitive fastening lugs on the reverse. That second point is common to almost all the Indian made stuff - sometimes conical 'pins' on the back, often very small, short lugs with the holes for a pin too close to the end to be secure. Using e plaid brooch center to make new badges would be typical as well. All sorts of odd variants and even badges for non-existent units are common.

So, I'd say 'Indian made' and probably recently, not while the 74th were there and not for that unit, except perhaps as a souvenir.