Cap badge, officer, 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, 1930-1947

Silver and gilt metal badge in the form of the regimental number, '18', on the intersection of two crossed lances with, above, the Prince of Wales's feathers, coronet and scroll, with the motto, 'Ich Dien' (I Serve); below, a scroll bearing the unit title, 'K.E.O. Cavalry'.

Following World War One (1914-1918), the number of Indian Cavalry Regiments was reduced from 39 to 21, but rather than further disbandment's, they were amalgamated in pairs. In 1921 the 6th King Edward's Own Cavalry were amalgamated with 7th Hariana Lancers, to form the 6th/7th Cavalry, but their title was changed to 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry in 1922.

The newly combined regiment inherited the combined battle honours of its forebears, including: 'Punniar', 'Moodkee', 'Ferozeshah', 'Sobraon', 'Punjaub', 'Egypt 1882', 'Tel-el-Kebir', 'Punjab Frontier', 'Burma 1885-87'; and from the First World War: 'Somme 1916', 'Morval', 'Cambrai 1917', 'France and Flanders 1914-18', 'Megiddo', 'Sharon', 'Damascus', 'Palestine 1918', 'Shaiba', 'Kut-al-Amara 1915', 'Ctesiphon', 'Tigris 1916' and 'Mesopotamia 1915-16'.

In 1936 the unit was renamed 18th King Edward VII's Own Cavalry when King Edward VIII ascended the throne to make clear it was named for King Edward VII. In December 1940, it became the second to last cavalry regiment to be mechanised, leaving only the 17th Queen Victoria's Own Poona Horse still mounted on horses (it too would be mechanised a month later). The regiment was attached to 3rd Indian Motor Brigade, 1st Indian Armoured Division and deployed to Egypt where they participated in the North Africa Campaign, including the Siege of Tobruk, and earned the further battle honours 'El Mechili', 'Defence of Tobruk', 'The Kennels' and 'North Africa 1940-43'.

In August 1947 the regiment was allocated to India post-partition and remain in service with them to this day.

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.