A bit of a long shot but...
I've just spent the day with my cousins and siblings going through old family photos. This one piqued my interest. I was wondering if someone would be able to ID the unit. The only thing I know is that it was taken in 1902. The slouch hats suggest empire forces of some form or another. Sadly no cap badges but the collar insignia and cuff details are fairly clear.
What area is your family from?
I am not in any shape or form a military historian. My interest was piqued.
I’m thinking volunteer yeomanry/mounted infantry.
One soldier appears to have territorial army efficiency stars just above his cuff.
Slouch hats were yeomanry service dress in the early 20th century.
Looking at the shape of the collar badge, something Westminster/Londonish?
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 22nd January 2024 at 08:27.
I've been doing a little bit of digging on this in spare moments. A Google image search of "Portcullis cap badge" throws up some other options including Royal Gloucestershire Hussars - I suppose an understanding of where in the UK the relative might be from might narrow it down a bit.
I may very much be mistaken but I'm wondering if the unusual tunic detail over the left shoulder is actually some distant relative of a pelisse which is something I think we've all imagined from a Flashman novel without ever understanding what it was called.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelisse
Like Billy I'm erring towards cavalry
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Thank you all for your help so far. Doing further research following your suggestions does give the impression they could be Yeomanry, possibly Imperial given the date of the photograph. These look like cavalry boots too:
The collar insignia holds the clue but I have not yet found one which matches (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars come close).
Interestingly my Great Grandfather is the only person in the picture wearing civvies which just adds to the mystery.
As far as I am aware he didn't serve but he was a very good shot (believed to be a Queen's Medallist which might mean he did serve).
I will keep digging and ask my cousins to send a copy of the whole photograph to see if there is anything else I can extract.
Yeomanry was raised for home service only. I understand that the short lived Imperial Yeomanry was raised for the Boer War and included volunteers for overseas service, some from the traditional Yeomanry and many entirely new volunteers. The Imperial Yeomanry was disbanded in 1908.
I assume that the badges and accoutrements of the companies of the Imperial Yeomanry could be those of the sponsoring domestic Yeomanry. For example, the 3rd (Gloucestershire) company of the 1st Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry were Royal Gloucestershire Hussars. The 34th and 35th (Middlesex) companies of the 11th Battalion of the Imperial Infantry were Middlesex Yeomanry.
So I guess I’m saying that a soldier could be in both the Imperial Yeomanry and Royal Gloucestershire Hussars.
But then again, I don’t really know. I was just interested. I thought the connection made between the photographs , Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and a hussar’s pelisse a neat link.
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 23rd January 2024 at 07:42.
Obviously it depends how far down the rabbit hole you want to go. If, and I really do mean if, the Gloucester angle is more than a dead end it looks like there is a Regimental Association and a museum.
http://www.rghya.org.uk/
https://www.soldiersofglos.com/
I suppose they might at least have access to some photos that might nail the distinctive uniform. As a matter of interest the personal equipment seems to be standard Slade-Wallace and I haven't been able to detect if there was a mounted variant. I've also found pictures of mounted soldiers wearing boots and puttees in South Africa but then the uniforms in your photos are obviously not field uniforms.
One thing I did find was a picture of a regimental tie which could match the stripe of your relative's. If only some bugger had paid more attention and developed colour photography a few decades earlier.
Edit: It's not too tricky to get a Reader's ticket at the National Army Museum. Not so sure about the IWM.
Last edited by Carlton-Browne; 23rd January 2024 at 10:31.
In the Sotadic Zone, apparently.
Originally Posted by bwest76
Not dissimilar to a military trench coat with what's referred to as a 'gun flap'? Perhaps on the LHS to slow down water ingress whilst holding a rifle to the right shoulder?
[Picture from - https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/gr...-12241488.html & used for illustration only.]
______
Jim.
The crossed rifles arm badge may be some sort of clue. From https://www.contactleft.co.uk/blog/p...les-badge.html
The origins of the crossed rifles badge can be traced back to 1865 when it was first introduced. At that time, the badge was awarded in gold to recognize the best shot in each company of an infantry regiment or depot, and in fabric to qualified marksmen. Over time, the award was extended to include the cavalry and Royal Engineers by 1881.
In 1909, the current regulations were established, and the badge was made available to all soldiers who demonstrated proficiency with the service rifle, regardless of their specific role within the military.
...so going by that, these would be infantry, cavalry or Royal Engineers.
While I know nothing about it I find this interesting. I noticed that the dapper gent behind your grandad sporting the medal seems to also have something on the bottom of his right sleeve. Seems to be letters RM stenciled there. Might make sense to post the full photos for possible additional clues.
I noticed that and immediately thought Royal Military Police, but this formation didn’t come in to being until some years later and their armband is MP.
I have read that the RM could be followed by a P and we just can’t see it in the photograph and it stands for Regimental Police.
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 23rd January 2024 at 23:43.
This may sound a bit simple but could the RM be the middle letters of the word ARMY?
Daft suggestion I admit, but it is from a bygone era.
Thank you all for the additional assistance. I haven't had the opportunity to go through everything.
A good spot there Possu, I hadn't seen those letter. Frustratingly, in my searches yesterday, I can across mention of letters on cuffs but I can't remember what it referred to. I'll have to trawl back through my browsing history.
The possible explanation of RM which I found
https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/...nd-on-soldier/
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