West Essex badge

[warspoils]

Bought this some years ago from the South of France, and just rediscovered it during lock down it is a large bullion badge 10 inches in height, and is clearly marked WEST ESSEX in scrolls above and below, but around the central shield are various letters that elude to the Yeomanry moto, DECUS ET TUTAMEN
could this be to the West Essex Yeomanry Cavalry, and if so by whom would have used it


regards Jeff

[rboorman]

An officer's dress sabretache badge?

[warspoils]

Many thanks for your thoughts, but not unless they used different designs than the superb example Expat Yeoman has shown, could it have been off a drum banner or sash, would they have had a band
Regards Jeff

[Expat Yeoman]

An interesting item that I've not seen before.

Did the EY have a band? Yes (and it is still in existence, one of the oldest military bands around). But I don't think they used this badge.

It has the dimensions that would suggest a sabretache but it doesn't match any of the known designs.

I'm consulting with someone far more knowledgable about such things but my initial thoughts are it's part of something else not a badge in its own right. I'm thinking, like warspoils, a shabraque or something like that.

What particularly caught my eye were the cannons at the base. They suggest to me that it was an item used by the artillery troops that were on the establishment for some time rather than the band or the sabre troops.

[warspoils]

Many thanks for the observations, you are probably correct on the artillery connection, I had missed that they had 2 troops of light artillery, would the officer’s have worn a sabretache? regular artillery officer’s did
thanks again for helping an Essex lad, or I used to be one

[Expat Yeoman]

No worries (I used to be one too!)

The artillery troop officers did indeed have a sabretache, a different design to the one I posted that you’ve seen and mentioned - but it didn’t include your badge, which is why I’m thinking some other (horse) element.