19th Hussars (The Elephant Family).

[Alan O]

Following some research in sources other than badge books, this is a record of the regt's movements and what headgear they wore:

1891: India: Bangalore
1896: India: Secunderabad

At this period Field Service Caps were introduced; most used collars as cap badges.

1899: South Africa: Ladysmith

Photos exist of the regt wearing single scroll elephants on slouch hats.

1902: Regiment re-designated as the 19th (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars. Return to UK. At this point I would expect the regt to replace the slouch hat with OR's pill box hats with no badges. Although officially obsolete it seems that many cavalry regts continued to wear them. SD would be worn with a coloured side cap.

1903: Ireland: Curragh
1908: England: Norwich
1910: England: Aldershot
1912: England: Hounslow Barracks

Pill box caps were favoured by the regt and there is no photographic evidence of the regt adopting Brodrick caps in 103-05. However other cavalry regts did so it cannot be ruled out. ORs adopted peaked caps in the Army 1905-06 but agin there is no start date for the 19th Hussars adoption of them. By 1910 I would expect the regt to be in khaki with khaki caps with Dannebord cross. They would be in No 1 dress with pill box caps at the start of the decade and later FSC. I am struggling to find photos from this period.

1914: Great War. Photos exist of the regt in WW1 with the Danneborg Cross cap badge.


1920: India: Muttra.

Regt is wearing no scroll FSH badges introduced in 1920. Danneborg Cross on caps.

1921: Tidworth for disbandment.

11 Apr 1921 AO no 133 approves the reconstitution of the 5thL/19thH/20thH/21L and merged with other regts.

11 Apr 1922: Amalgmation and C Sqn formed with 15/19th Hussars. C Sqn continued to wear the 19 H cap badge in Tidworth 1921-22 as recorded in the letters page of the 15/19th Hussars Journal of 1963.

25 Jan 1924: Disembark Port Said. C Sqn wearing FSH with 1920 elephant scroll-less badge. 15H Sqns do not have a FSH badge.

1928-34: India - as above.

1933: Regtl Title change to Kings Royal Hussars and then back to 15th/19th Hussars. 19th badges are no longer worn.

This does not answer the double elephant scroll badge. My personal view is that they were a prototype badge, possibly only for officers, and rejected by the regt.

To summarise

1897-99 UK FSC (collars)
1899-1902 S.Africa Slouch (Single scroll elephant)
1903-06 UK Pill Box Cap - badgeless, unknown on Brodrick from 1905? Danneborg cross on peaked cap in SD as early as 1907.
1907-22 UK & Europe As above and peaked cap in khaki.
1922-34 India/Egypt FSH (No scroll elephant)

Some headgear would be worn alongside each other but the badges would be different.
For example there is a photo on the LD website of the 19H in 1904 and the slouch hat and FSC are both shown.
Any comments?