Shoulder belt plate, officer, St Thomas-in-the-East Militia, Jamaica, 1800 (c)

White metal, oval plate with the engraved royal cypher, 'GR', surmounted by a monarchial crown, above an American crocodile with the entwined initials 'AM' below. Around the upper edge the unit title,'St Thos in the East Militia'. On the reverse, a hook and two stud fittings.

The British raised militia forces across the West Indies during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to help defend the colonies from foreign attack but also to ensure internal security. During the pre-emancipation period militias were used to deter or counter slave revolts and to hunt down escaped slaves. The militias were predominantly white, drawing their recruits from small landowners, indentured servants and landless freemen.

The American crocodile which features on the shoulder belt plate inhabits swamps and some rivers in Jamaica. It is the largest reptile on the island and was incorporated into the coat of arms of Jamaica in 1661.