Historical information

Presented to 10th Light Horse Regiment (West Australian Mounted Infantry) by Lt-General Sir Harry Chauvel, GCMG, KCB on the Esplanade, Perth, 10 March 1928. Consecrated by Senior Chaplain COL Riley, OBE, VD, DD.

Later carried by the post-World War Two unit, 10th West Australian Mounted Infantry, raised as a CMF unit of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in 1949 as a direct successor unit to the above light horse regiment. This unit was redesignated as 10th Light Horse in 1956.

The Guidon was laid up at the State War Memorial, King's Park on 10 June 1967, following presentation of a new Guidon to 10th Light Horse in 1966. It was transferred to the Army Museum of WA in 1988 as part of the Bicentenary Colours Project.

Physical description

Crimson with gold fringes, swallow tailed end (traditional cavalry Guidon shape). In the centre a black swan within a circle inscribed "10th LIGHT HORSE (WAMI)", across the lower portion of the circle a scroll inscribed with the regimental motto "PERCUTE ET PERCUTE VELOCITER", the whole surrounded with a wreath of Australian wattle and surmounted by the Crown. In the upper canton the roman numeral "X"

Below the whole centrepiece is the regimental colour patch in black over gold diagonals in a rectangle and below that is the battle honour SOUTH AFRICA 1900-02 . Emblazoned on either side of the centrepiece are ten selected battle honours from the Great War:
DEFENCE OF ANZAC, SARI BAIR, RUMANI, MAGHDABA-RAFAH, GAZA-BEERSHEBA, JERUSALEM, JORDAN (ES SALT), MEGIDDO, SHARON, DAMASCUS.

The battle honour for South Africa for unknown reasons was not included on the guidon when originally presented in 1928, and was not emblazoned on the Guidon until the early 1950's. Other related facts:-
• The battle honour "South Africa 1900-02" was granted under MO 123/1908 to 18th Australian Light Horse Regiment which was the predecessor Militia Light Horse regiment existing at the time.
• This battle honour appeared under 10th Light Horse Regiment in the Australian Army List from 1928 onwards.
• Having the battle honour added at a later date would explain why this battle honour is positioned on the lower portion of the guidon in the centre. At the time of approving battle honours for the Great War, the authorised position for any pre-existing South Africa battle honour was in the top left corner of the Guidon or colour, followed by the battle honours of the Great War. (AAO 112/1927).