[Drew]

Attached is my illustration of a photograph I have saved on my computer. Apologies, but since I do not remember where I got it and cannot add my source, I thought this was more appropriate in making my point.

I believe it is a St. George’s Rifles cross belt badge and I thought it looked very similar to that which the Sergeant is wearing in the ‘Rifles’ photograph I posted above. I wonder if this is evidence that what we might have here are the Queen Victoria’s Rifles?

I don’t think the photo looks pre-1908 and I think perhaps they are wearing ‘T/9/County of London’ metal shoulder titles. Therefore the St. George’s Rifles no longer exist. However, I would speculate that the NCO is nonetheless still wearing his old cross belt. What do people think?

One reason for my wondering about this is because I have been reading quite a few of the London Regiment histories recently, and one thing that has struck me is how many times they state that a certain battalion would continue wearing an older style of uniform or accoutrement until stocks ran out and how sometimes this was because of cost. In addition, even if this was not always the case with more ‘well heeled’ Battalions, I would add that perhaps it was tolerated, and even allowed, in deference to battalion loyalties of a pre-1908 date ; it might even have been a way of demarcating companies. Perhaps this would be unthinkable for the Regulars, but I have my suspicions about the Territorials in this regard.

In the past I have always tended to look at photos and date them according to the chronology we have. For example, and in this case, ‘If it is post-1908 it cannot possibly be the St. George’s Rifles!’, but recently I have started to wonder if in reality it wasn’t so clear as that.

More than happy to be proved wrong, but thought I would post anyway.