TOPIC:

Below are seven examples of slouch hat badges worn by men of the South African Light Horse. Unrecorded variants, such as the badge made from a .303 cartridge, continue to surface.



A. Two-piece sheet brass. Not recorded by Colin Owen in his work The Military Badges & Insignia of Southern Africa (Somerset West 1990).
B. Perhaps the type most regularly encountered. Die struck sheet brass. Owen 1990, #1661.
C. 9-carat gold. Reverse stamped "9 CT". Two loops to reverse suggest this was for use as a slouch hat badge, rather than being a "sweetheart" as the gold might imply. Not recoded in Owen.
D. Two-piece sheet brass, with the addition of Sakabula feathers and the Zulu motto "USIBA EN JALOH NGAPAMBILI" [Usiba njalo nga pambili], or "Feathers at the front". This is of the type described in Tylden 1954 (p. 169). Owen 1990, #1662.
E. Sheet brass. This is the actual example illustrated in Owen. Owen 1990, #1658.
F. Two-piece sheet brass. Owen 1990, #1660.
G. Made in the field from a .303 Cordite Mk II cartridge, with Royal Laboratory (R /|\ L) headstamps. Not recorded in Owen.





Portrait of a sergeant in the South African Light Horse. Pencil inscription to reverse reads: "A perfect photograph don't you think? Just returned from Africa & received the Freedom of the City of Canterbury. Could a girl resist him?".
Photographed by J. Weston & Son, 20A Sandgate Road, Folkestone.
Two sergeants in the SALH received the Freedom of the City of Canterbury: Sergeants Harry Clarke and J. Muncton. Sergeant-Major C.T. Mudford was similarly honoured.
The sitter wears a badge conforming to type "B" above.





The famous photograph of Churchill, again wearing a type B badge.





The SALH landing at Durban on 28 Nov 1899.







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A fantastic post, Neville. Many thanks

The badge chosen to represent the regiment in the Anglican Church, Ladysmith.

One that slipped through the net.

Gilt version of "type B" in my first post. Looking at the photograph of Churchill, there is no indication that the badge he is wearing was issued with this finish. Indeed, I can find no traces of gilding on the other examples I have here. Maybe the owner of this badge had it gilded as a souvenir. The National Army Museum holds an example of the Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard badge that has been treated in this way.

Tobacco pipe carved by 1209, Trooper Russell ST JOHN, S.A.L.H.

Carved with stylized version of "type D", with Sakabula feathers (see my original post). Also: "S.A.L.H. / SAKABULAS / VR / BOER WAR / 1899 to 1901 / RUSSELL ST JOHN Q.M.S."

There is considerable confusion in the records regarding this man, apparently due to the fact that he is shown as St John RUSSELL instead of Russell ST JOHN on the S.A.L.H. medal roll. This seemingly led to his medal claim being rejected by the Commander-in-Chief. An attempt had been made to identify him with 1871 Lce-Cpl W. ST JOHN, a different man entirely.
The rejected claim was made under the name of 1209 Trooper & Sergeant-Major R. ST JOHN, with reported service in the S.A.L.H., the Remount Depot, Springfontein, as Intelligence Agent at Mosel Bay, and Lieutenant in the Mosel Bay D.M.T.
The medal issued to 1209 Trooper St John RUSSELL is marked as "Returned" on the medal roll, no doubt because it was named to the wrong man.






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Here's another SALH badge variant. The SALH was raised and commanded by Lt Col the Hon. Julian "Bungo" Byng, formerly of the10th Hussars, later Viscount Byng of Vimy.
I can't recall where I got this picture from, I'm afraid, and I apologise if it belongs to a forummer.