Officer badge

The commemorative badge of the 10th Cavalry Rifle Regiment, established during an assembly of officers on 21 March 1925 and approved by the Ministry of Military Affairs on 4 April 1927 (Dz. Rozk. MSWojsk. no. 11, item 118). It was made in two variants – for soldiers and officers, with the latter made out of silver and enamelled. The colours of enamel on the arms of the cross and on the shield referred to the colours of the regimental pennant - emerald and yellow, with a white stripe. In the years 1925-1929 the right to receive an officer badge was given to officers after a minimum of twelve months of service in the regiment, and in the wartime the time of service was doubled. As an exception, non-commissioned officers could receive the officer's badge for special merit, but only after serving a minimum of four years in the regiment. Later regulations changed this rule – officers could receive the badge after two years of service in the regiment. The main creator of the badges was Wiktor Gontarczyk, a Warsaw-based engraver. According to the statute, it was presented on the regiment celebration day. In the centre of the badge – next to the motto, numbers and the initials of the regiment – featured a date 1921, which referred to the date of formation of the unit named the 10th Cavalry Rifle Regiment, later replaced with 1918, referring to the year of formation of the regiment’s predecessor in Italy. New regulations concerning the badge were approved by the Ministry of Military Affairs on 18 March 1929 (Dz. Rozk. MSWojsk. no. 9, item 81), in line with the guidelines issued by the military authorities on 21 April 1928, which concerned the unification of the issue of commemorative badges of military formations (Dz. Rozk. MSWojsk. no. 10, item 123). At that time, the new design of the commemorative badge with new date was officially approved. Joanna Kluz