Shoulder belt ornament, 1st Regiment of Bengal Lancers, 1896-1899

Silver badge in the form of a star with garter bearing the unit's motto, 'The Help of God and Bravery of Man'. In the centre the monogram 'BL' surmounted by the numeral '1'. With separate crown and scrolls bearing the unit title, 'Skinner;s Horse', and the battle honours, 'Bhurtpore', 'Ghuznee Candahar 1842 Kabul', and 'Afghanistan 1879-80'.

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Skinner's Horse was an irregular cavalry unit formed in 1803 by Captain James Skinner (1778-1841), an Anglo-Indian officer in the East India Company's service. Nicknamed 'The Yellow Boys' for their flamboyant saffron-coloured uniforms, Skinner's Horse were famous for their horsemanship and skill at arms. The unit became the 1st Regiment of Bengal Cavalry in 1861 and the 1st Regiment of Bengal Lancers in 1896. The regiment was amalgamated with 3rd Skinner's Horse in 1922.

From the Field Marshal Sir John Chapple Indian Army Collection.