Fincastle's Horse (31st Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry) Cap Badge, Boer War
A rare, bi-metal, cap badge for The 31st battalion of The Imperial Yeomanry (Fincastle's Horse). A white metal five pointed star mounted by a brass strap inscribed “Fincastle’s Horse” with “31” to centre. Two original dark toned lugs to the reverse and with three braising / sweat holes to the reverse of the circlet. Circa 3.3cm across and In excellent condition. Of Scottish interest. Raised by Lord Fincastle, V.C. ( later the Earl of Dunmore) who had won his Victoria Cross in the Tirah Campaign. He served with the 16th Lancers and also served in South Africa during the Boer War and served in the First World War. He died in 1962.
The Scottish papers reported on January 21, 1902 Recruiting for Fincastle's Horse Stopped: Orders have been received from the War Office at the recruiting centres in Scotland to the effect that no more men are to be enlisted for Fincastle's Horse...It may be added that the new force is the 31st Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry. It was of battalion strength. and again on the 18 April, 1902 (Departure of Fincastle's Horse): "The corps, which was formed at the beginning of the year at the insistence of the nobleman whose name it bears, has been hard at work during the last three and a half months, with the result that it now goes on active service as one of the fittest battalions of Yeomanry ever raised during the present war....as far as training can make them so, Fincastle's Horse are in the best of condition mentally and physically for active service. When the battalion was raised, the enlistments amounted to about 1000 men, and as only 600 were required to make up the regiment, the remainder were sent off to Aldershot to join the corps there. Thus the 31st Battalion was in a sense a corps d'elite to start with."
