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From: Bryn Dolan
Date: 2/23/2002
Time: 12:46:11 PM
Remote Name: 210.141.67.150
Steve, as Rob said previously, the 3rd (Darling Downs) Light Horse had no colour patch. Colour patches were introduced into the AIF in January 1915, while it was stationed in Egypt. They had not existed before that.
According to 'Military Badges of the British Empire 1914-18', the 3rd Light Horse had no badge. Its members wore a gilded metal '3', on the front of the hat.
The book, which despite its title covers at least the period 1909 - 1918, states that no Light Horse units originally had badges. All wore their numeral only. (Quote: ) 'The universal badge for all Citizen Military Force units was a metal numeral which was worn on the front of the slouch hat and cap; but some units were permitted to wear distinctive badges of their own design.' (page 18). It does not state that the 3rd was one of the unites to wear the 'badge of their own design'
It does, however, say that the2nd (Queensland Mounted Infantry), 4th (Northern Rivers NSW), 16th (Indi), 17th (Campaspe Valley), 19th (Yarowee), 25th (Western Australian Mounted Infantry), 26th (Tasmanian Mounted Infantry), and 29th (Port Philip Horse) Light Horse Regiments originally wore these numerals, and that these were later replaced by badges. It states alo that the 28th (Illawarra) Light Horse was believed to have had a badge, but that no details of it were available to the author.
Reference for the book is: Cox, Reginald H.W. 'Military Badges of the British Empire 1914-18' The Standard Art Book Co. Chicago, 1982. (contains pictures or drawings of all known badges).
Regards, B Dolan www.anzacs.org