Pugri badge, 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse, 1903-1922

Brass badge in the form of a finial in the shape of an upraised hand above a scroll bearing the title, 'Poona Horse', surmounted by an inverted horseshoe bearing the title, 'Prince Victor's Own', and a King's Crown.

The pugri or pagri is a form of headdress.

The origin of the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse goes back to 1817 and the raising of an auxiliary horse unit for the East India Company's Bombay Presidency army which became the Poona Auxiliary Horse in 1818. It was renamed the Poona Irregular Horse in 1847 and became the Poona Horse in 1862. The unit became the 4th Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse) in 1885 and the 4th (Prince Albert Victor's Own) Bombay Cavalry (Poona Horse) in 1890. In the 1903 reform of the Indian Army the unit was re-numbered as the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse.

The emblem of the raised hand on this badge represents the Poona Horse's standard finial. The original finial had surmounted the standard of the 1st Khushgai Regiment of Fars and was captured by the Poona Horse at the Battle of Koosh-ab during the Persian War of 1857.

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.