Ghazipur Light Horse

[pinfrin]

Would anyone have this Badge or a better Image or at least a description of the attached please ?

[Piffer]

Are u sure its Gazipur and not Gorakhpur Light Horse, AFI ?

[peter monahan]

I think that the Gazipur Horse were subsumed into the Upper Provinces Horse in 1904, as were the Gorakhpur LH, so I am surprised to see such a badge at all on a filed cap of this style, but have no definite information about it. How did you conclude that it was to the Gazipur unit?

[Khyber]

Ghazipur Light Horse formed in 1887 from Ghazipur Rifle Volunteers and later went on to make up the United Provinces Horse.. Not sure if that kind of cap was in use then and not clear how to make a definite connection. Can we get a better image..?

[pinfrin]

Originally Posted by peter monahan

I think that the Gazipur Horse were subsumed into the Upper Provinces Horse in 1904, as were the Gorakhpur LH, so I am surprised to see such a badge at all on a filed cap of this style, but have no definite information about it. How did you conclude that it was to the Gazipur unit?

The early 1880's - British Officers in the IA appear to have adopted
the side cap for wear on operations, on training and line of march
and as an undress item of headdress. Cap variously described as
the Austrian pattern forage cap, Torin, Standard, the FS cap, side cap etc.

There are pics of the Calcutta Volunteer Rifles (1899) with a Torin
worn with badge (and buttons). Also a similar Bombay Volunteer
Rifles side cap pre 1901.

The Gh LH predates the Go LH.
(a) Colonel J.H. Rivett Carnac's medal Group
http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive...7&lot_id=68382
(b) Raised the GLH, was Opium Agent for 20 years.
So the [Blue] Opium Poppy on the cap badge.
(c) Col Rivett's book: 'Many memories of life in India, at home, and abroad'
pub 1910. Available to read on the net.
(d) Gorakhpur did not have a flower connect.

The 1st Wiltshire V.R.C. badge [Brandy Barrel] same vintage, similar theme.

[pinfrin]

The Ghazipur Opium Volunteer Rifle Corps ( raised 14 June 1879 ) ->
The Ghazipur Volunteer Rifle Bn (11 Nov 1881) ->
The Ghazipur Volunteer Rifle Corps (1885 ) * ->
The Tirhoot State Railway Volunteer Rifle Corps (amalgmated with on 17 June 1892 )

* Mounted Det of GVRC -> The Ghazipur Light Horse (07 Jan 1887)
forms part of UP Light Horse (01 April 1904)

http://www.bihartimes.in/articles/amarnath/opium.html
[ Opium Factory Cannon - 3rd pic in article, nice touch 200 years on.]

similar trade representation of the Tea Trade on the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps Cap Badge

Brandy for the WVRC Moonrakers badge and Two military Wine insignia. Any more seen please ?
War on Scorpions http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/48672656.cms

[pinfrin]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/...Wm9EZiayH.html

Lt General Sir George MacMunn in his 'History of the Sikh Pioneers' Pub Sampson Low London 1936 notes -
' The Wars with China have always arisen from the astounding ignorance and invincible arrogance with
which the Manchu Regime treated all foreigners within their coasts and all foreign interests and just rights '

[peter monahan]

General MacMunn's comment muct rank as a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black when referring to Sino-British realations.

Fighting a war to force another country to continue to allow one to seel drugs to its citizens, in the interest of the balance of trade, must surely count as the height of arrogance!

[pinfrin]

GVR IA List (attd)

Must find this badge - ? price.
(The Ghazipur Colonel's Medals sold for £ 3200 at
http://www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive...s&lot_id=68382 )

1. Helen of Troy liked the material (attd)
2. A Vindication: By CR Haines pub 1884
http://library.umac.mo/ebooks/b25544718.pdf

[pinfrin]

Originally Posted by pinfrin

Would anyone have this Badge or a better Image or at least a description of the attached please ?

Ghazipur LH
This GLH cap badge sold at auction in 2009 with the description "bullion cap badge,
this being a blue velvet flower head, encircled by a silver bullion wreath and to the
centre the initials 'GLH'. Surmounted by a crown "

Ghazipur Opium Volunteer Rifles
The Chapple collection catalog p 526 (arms-svcs .pdf6) lists a PBP 1879-1892
as a "crown over a 5 petalled rose of the Order of the Indian Empire"
( the Medals year book says the OIE rose is enamelled crimson " )

[peter monahan]

Well, both opium poppies and the 'flower' of the OIE are red, so it may be that the designer of the Ghazipur LH badge simply decide that blue went better with the uniform, or took the inspiration of the shape but not the colour of the original flower.

Not even going to start on justifying the Opium Wars except to repeat the sentiment above: 'thine arse is grimy said the kettle to the pot'.

[Khyber]

Thought I'd add this image of the GLH crest...we may never get to see a badge but the crest is quite nice..

[peter monahan]

Very nice. I'm a little ashamed to say that I was once offered a whole colection of 'clipped' letterheads to IA units and was too dim to grab them.

[Khyber]

Yes, they're lovely..There are about 30 of them for sale on ebay at the moment. I would have loved to collect but don't want to get into anything else now..I saved all the images though. Someday hope to do some photoshopping and have a whole chart printed out and framed. There's some rare ones to the Malwa Bheel Corps and the Meywar Bheel Corps - I have a Mutiny medal to the latter!

[peter monahan]

Impressive!

One of Kipling's more improbable, and rather racist, tales is 'The Tomb of His Ancestors', about an officer of the 'Bhil Levies', whose ancestor is worshipped by the tirbe and who puts down a potential uprising by his magnetic presence. I read that as an impressionable 18 year old and was fascinated, but hardly 'history' in any sense of the word.