White Horse - SAMR/CMR Or Not?

[craigen]

Hello All

The badge pictured below came via a dealer from the late Hugh King's collection as an SAMR sleeve badge. It is hallmarked silver and has lugs (I will add pictures of the back when I can).

The badge does not exactly match the SAMR examples previously shown on this forum or in Colin Owen's book. It does look like examples of 3rd The Kings Hussars collars (later Queens Own Hussars) but I would like to think that Hugh King would have known the Hussars badges better than most and would not have identified this as SAMR without a reason.

Does anyone know if a variation like this was ever worn by the CMR/SAMR or have any reasons for thinking it might have been or not?



Regards
Craig

[Traist]

Hi Craig, I don't know of this badge been worn by the CMR/SAMR, but I do know that they did wear it in white metal facing the opposite way. I discovered this in the King Williams Town Museum. They appear to have started wearing them when the silver badges ran out, and from the pictures I did see, possibly only post WW1. Regards Andrew

[badgecollector]

hi craig
im no expert but ive had a couple of these in the past, hallmarked and all and have sold them on believing them to be 3rd The Kings Hussars arm badges.
beautiful badge. might pay to put this into the british cavalry thread section
bc

[fearnaught]

Hi Andrew, I realise they are in a museum but any chance of an approximate size as the 3rd Hussar collars earlier were bigger. Even better if someone actually has one and could show with a measure. Best wishes Mike

[Traist]

Hi Mike, I was so chuffed with my discovery I chatted to the curator and did manage to get a picture. I hope it helps. Regards Andrew

[Traist]

Picture with title.

[fearnaught]

Hi Andrew, very interesting. These are my 3rd Hussar's badges. This thread and the thread on British cavalry arm badges is very intriguing, maybe Will or Brian have some resolution, best wishes Mike

[sabrigade]

As some of you may be aware, I am writing a book on the First World War and have included detailed histories of the formation of the S.A.M.R. These are the details that I came up with:

"The White Horse of Hanover arm badge was worn by sergeants and warrant officers of the 1st Regiment above rank chevrons. This was a tradition continued from the Cape Mounted Riflemen and authority to wear the device had been granted for the device to be worn by the War Office in 1902 and it was worn with the horse facing to the rear. The badge was worn by both the mounted and artillery branches."

I think the curator Andrew was referring too is correct as in the "Instructions for Dress for the Union Defence Forces 1923", it was changed to read “All Warrant Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers will wear a horse in white metal (head to the front) on jacket and serge frock, above the badges of rank and chevrons.”

The shoulder title shown in the photograph submitted by Andrew was worn during the same time period.

By 1923, the other 4 South African Mounted Riflemen Regiments had been disbanded.

Again, knowing the way dress regulations were often followed, both type of badges may have been worn?

hanover.jpg

[Milmed]

CMR nco's as part of colonial coronation contingent c.1902
Note right hand man's artillery collars and crossed cannon on rank badge. other two probably riflemen. all wearing horse facing to rear.

[sabrigade]

A unique “trench art” type badge where the white horse of Hanover has been combined with a Cape Mounted Riflemen shoulder title.

horse pic.jpg

[Brian Conyngham]

Hi Guys, here is a link to a thread I started awhile back after acquiring 2 of these:
http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ad.php?t=46697

CMR Facing to the rear and SAMR facing to the front!

Regards
Brian

[sabrigade]

Thanks Brian,

I believe the two posts have answered many questions.

Regards,

Will