Cap Badge - Royal [East] Kent Yeomanry - "Duke of Connaught's Own Mounted Rifles" This badge was sold by Jim Purdy for $32.00 on e-Bay in the Spring/Summer of 2017. This badge was deemed irrelevant to the museum. The money was used to purchase relevant badges for the collection. Other possible titles: Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry (Mounted Rifles) or Royal East Kent Yeomanry Mounted Cavalry or Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Duke of Connaught's Own). The Royal East Kent Yeomanry were formed in 1794, originally as a series of independent troops based in the important towns of Kent, England. In the latter part of the 19th century they frequently provided escorts for the Queen and members of the Royal Family, and as a result, in 1856 the East Kent Yeomanry became the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Duke of Connaught's Own). The East Kent Yeomanry was never officially given the title of Royal East Kent Yeomanry! Over the years many authors have used this inappropriate name to describe the East Kent Yeomanry Cavalry / East Kent Mounted Rifles / Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles. People seem to confuse the type of unit – yeomanry, with the title. Most English counties raised Yeomanry units in the 1700’s, some simply gave them the title of their county whilst others refered to them in a different manner. In the case of Kent which raised two independent yeomanry units, they used the simple title – East Kent Yeomanry Cavalry and West Kent Yeomanry. The East Kent Yeomanry Cavalry changed it’s name a number of times in turn – East Kent Mounted Rifles, Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles, 10th (Yeomanry) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery / 143rd (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, 297th (Kent Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A and finally the Kent & County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).