Badge 1901-1910

The RHA did not have official recognition of their badge until 1948 so badges bearing the cyphers of monarchs before George VI were worn without the sanction of the War Office. Badges having the cypher of George V and Edward VIII were worn by some Batteries and assumed to be the earliest RHA badges, but this badge came to light in a Dix Noonan Webb auction in December 2018. It has Edward VII’s cypher inside a Garter proper with the King’s crown above and ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY on a scroll beneath, with a small Sphinx above the scroll. Only F Battery was present in Egypt in 1801 and they were granted the Sphinx battle honour as late as 1926. This may be a badge adopted unofficially by F (Sphinx) Battery. The catalogue does not give any information as to whether this is an officer’s or other ranks’ badge, or on what part of the uniform it was worn. It is die-cast blackened bronze so not likely to have been worn on the field service cap. The estimated price for this lot was 40 to 60 pounds but it sold for 30 pounds.

Regimental Details | Badges