Material: White metal
Size: 23mm w × 32mm h
Description: This item is an original white metal military collar badge belonging to The Essex and Kent Scottish, an infantry regiment of the Primary Reserve in the Canadian Army. The insignia is shaped in a stylized teardrop frame formed by Scottish thistles at the base. A demi-lion rampant stands at the absolute crest of the piece, looking over the main inscription banner reading "THE ESSEX AND KENT SCOTTISH". Centered in the middle is a structural shield featuring three ancient saxon swords (seaxes) positioned horizontally above a white horse. The bottom ribbon curves outward with the unit's proud Latin motto, "SEMPER PARATUS," translating directly to "Always Prepared". The reverse side features an unhallmarked finish with two intact copper wire mounting lugs designed to pin securely onto a dress uniform collar.
Circa: Introduced 1954
Notes:
The rich iconography embedded within this small collar badge tells the unique story of an emergency wartime merger. Following the massive restructuring of the Canadian military forces in 1954, the historic Essex Scottish Regiment was officially amalgamated with the Kent Regiment. To represent this newly unified fighting force, designers carefully merged the heraldic symbols of both ancestral counties. The three horizontal seaxes represent Essex County, Ontario, which originally borrowed the design from the ancient Kingdom of Essex in England. Placed right underneath those swords is the striking symbol of a white horse, a direct nod to Kent County.