Figure 253 shows a genuine ‘E’ Squadron (New Zealand) (or later 3rd (New Zealand) Troop, ‘D’ Squadron (British African)) Other Ranks headdress badge and matching pair of collar badges all in gilding metal. The headdress badge is die struck and has prominent full stops after the letters 'N' and 'Z', and the veins on the silver fern leaf are sharp and crisp. The copper loops are positioned east-west and are lacking feet.
Figure 253: A genuine ‘E’ Squadron (New Zealand) Other Ranks headdress badge (KK 1377) with a matching pair of collar badges. The 'E' Squadron (New Zealand) collar badges were worn as a facing pair with the tips facing outwards. The pair of collar badges shown in Figure 253 are die-struck in gilding metal and have copper loops positioned east-west.
A copy of the ‘E’ Squadron (New Zealand) headdress badge is shown in Figure 254. This copy is a very good strike but has loops with broad feet.
Figure 254: A copy of an ‘E’ Squadron Other Ranks’ headdress badge (KK 1377) in gilding metal with east-west loops. In addition to gilding metal Other Ranks collar badges for the New Zealand Squadron these can be found in both gilt and bronze for Officers. A gilt ‘E’ Squadron collar badge is shown in Figure 255. This is an Officer’s collar badge with its rich gilt finish. The collar badge is die-cast badge with a flat back.
Figure 255: An example of a genuine ‘E’ Squadron (New Zealand) Officer's collar badge (in the style of KK 1377) in fire-gilt (David Stewart collection).The ‘E’ Squadron headdress and collar badges are sometimes confused with several different patterns of fern leaf badges worn by New Zealand Volunteer Officers who formed part of the Second Boer War contingent and by New Zealand Permanent Staff. These fern leaf badges have differently shaped leaf stems, dimensions, loop positions and some but not all patterns lack the full stops after the letters 'N' and 'Z '.
Serjeant Sydney Harris (shown in Figure 200) who joined ‘B’ Squadron (British American or Canadian) in 1905 states that because there was no special Squadron for New Zealanders (from 1904) they could wear a fern badge to indicate their Nationality. New Zealand fern headdress and collar badges were worn by members of the 3rd Troop of ‘D’ Squadron (British African).
