King's Colonials Sweetheart Badges

The most commonly encountered King’s Colonials sweetheart badges are brooches made from the Regimental or Squadron collar badges. An example of these is shown on the right of the accompanying image which is a die-struck, second pattern Regimental collar badge (as per Figures 271-272) with a brooch fitting (north-south). Another example not shown is a broached 'A' Squadron (British Asian) collar badge.

Another type of sweetheart badge shown in the centre of the accompanying image is in the form of a cravat pin similarly fashioned from a flat-backed, die-cast, Officer’s second pattern Regimental collar badge (Figures 269-270). The late Keith Hook had several of these cravat pins in his yeomanry badge collection and this may not be surprising as cravat pins were popular items of an Edwardian gentleman’s attire. These are not converted collars as there are no stumps from loops having been once attached but were made as sweetheart badges from the casting moulds of the collar badges. 

The sweetheart badge on the left of the accompanying image is a stylised representation of the first pattern Regimental Other Ranks collar badge with entwined KC in blue enamel on a brass circular plate as per the collar badge shown as Figure 197. This sweetheart badge has a brooch fitting and was made by Fattorini and Sons, Bradford who was a well-known badge maker in the pre-war to Great War period.  

Figure 301: Three King's Colonials sweetheart badges (authors collection).