Slouch hat badge : Private C Cooke, Queensland Mounted Infantry

Queensland Military Forces brass slouch hat badge. The main body of the badge is circular with the inner ring containing a voided cross with a star in each arm and the outer ring containing in raised lettering 'QUEENSLAND'. The badge is surmounted by Queen Victoria's crown which is joined to the badge by two leaves extending from each side of the crown. The reverse of the badge has had two lugs soldered on and a split pin for securing the badge to a hat. The top lug also secures a beige braid loop to hold up the hat's flap. The reverse of the badge has the remnants of maroon felt around the crown and partially extending down the badge. The rest of the felt has worn away.

Charles Cooke joined the Second Queensland Mounted Infantry Contingent when it was raised for service in South Africa on 29 December, 1899. He was allocated the service number 149 and the rank of private. After two weeks of training, the contingent numbering 10 officers, 144 other ranks and 178 horses, embarked in the transport Maori King from Brisbane on 13 January 1900. The contingent disembarked in Cape Town on 24 February and went into Maitland Camp for four days. On 28 February, Cooke travelled with the contingent to Modder River, arriving there on 3 March. On arrival, the contingent joined Lord Robert's field force. Cooke saw action at Osfontein, Poplar Grove and Driefontein. He also saw action in the series of skirmishes leading up to the occupation of Bloemfontein. Cooke was chosen to spend time in Lord Robert's Bodyguard Detachment. This unit was made up of one man from each of the British Colonies and accompanied Lord Roberts wherever he travelled. Cooke returned to the Queensland contingent later in the year and saw further action at Belfast, east of Pretoria, with Chauvel's Mounted Infantry. Cooke embarked at Cape Town with the Second Contingent in the transport ship Tongariro on 30 March 1901 and after a brief stop in Fremantle on 20 April, disembarked in Sydney on 29 April. The contingent travelled by train to Brisbane on 1 May, arriving two days later. Cooke was discharged on 10 May and the Second Contingent was disbanded.