Winchester College button

[GTB]

By any chance could this small (15mm) silver-plated button be attributed as military i.e. OTC, although I have seen that unit having a different design badge? Motto "Manners Maketh Man". Backmark 'E. Armfield. Birmingham'.

GTB

[Cribyn]

Hello GTB

If the button is silver plated then I would have thought it unlikely to be OTC - too posh! Most were brass or gilt (for officers) or black horn.

The only mention I can find of buttons for Winchester College OTC implies that they used a brass 'General Service' pattern - "For many units either the black Rifles button was in use or .......the General Service type with Royal Arms. Typical here would be Winchester College....". Extract from an article covering OTC buttons in a recent issue of the MHS Bulletin.

Roger

[GTB]

Thanks for that, Roger, but I'm a stickler for punishment! I discovered another button of similar size but made of frosted & burnished gilt. However the blazon has a shield divided 'per pale' with the Arms of the See of Winchester coupled with those of Winchester College. The Garter and Colege motto are also prominent. Unsure as to who would have worn but evidently someone of standing.

GTB

[4966Ian]

Hi GTB and Roger,

I have checked Terence Woods' book - "Further Military insignia of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight 1702-1995". This book featured items from Rod Flood's collection and I presume also Rod's knowledge. Rod is a collector of Hampshire insignia of many years whose knowledge of Hampshire stuff is second to none. So if the following came from Rod I am inclined to believe it.

"On 9th February 1870 authorisation was given for the establishment of a cadet corps at Winchester College, who were affiliated to the 1st Volunteer Battalion."
.......

"The Original Cadet Corps formed within the public schools of Hampshire were invited to join the newly created Officer Training Corps in 1908. Four schools had contingents at this time: Winchester, Portsmouth, Churcher's of Peterfield and Bournemouth. . . .".

"The Gilt faced button from Winchester shows the school's coat of arms surrounded by the Royal Garter surmounted by the Bishop's mitre with a scroll at the base 'MANNERS MAKYTH MAN'. Fig. 9.2)"

Figure 9.2 shows the Gilt button shown by GTB in post 3.


So at least this book identifies this button as belonging to Winchester OTC.

Cheers


Ian

[GTB]

Many thanks for your research, Ian.
Nice to confirm what I have.

GTB

[btns]

My buttons are similar to post #3 and have sizes 20 and 15 mm.
They fit a school uniform, but would an OTC uniform have such small buttons?

[GTB]

I would think they could be cuff buttons. Not all uniforms are identical in cut and OTC uniforms may have their own idiosyncrasies. Did they have mess uniforms at all?

GTB

[Alan O]

EJ Martin's 1937 article is quite clear that all buttons and badges of the contingent were bronzed.

It might be pre-1908 cadet corps but I don't think it is OTC

Likewise the brass Winchester cap badges are likely to be CCF rather than the Bz OTC ones.