Southern Provinces Mounted Rifles Side Cap

[irish]

Part of the AFI Auxiliary Forces India "Cavalry Units". Headquartered in Madras. Disbanded in 1947.

Did this unit stay in India during WW2 ? Or could it have been deployed outside of India's' borders during this period?

Thanks
Jack

[davidwyke]

Hi Jack

I think men volunteering for the AFI units signed up for "home service" only, in other words the units served only within India. They served on a part-time basis pre war and I think were mobilised for full time service during WW2. As far as I know, the AFI units remained in India performing an internal security role, taking over from regular British & Indian units which went overseas.

Of course, many men serving with the AFI units will have volunteered for overseas service with regular Indian Army units. I think it was quite common for them to be given a temporary commission.

David

[irish]

Thank you David for that information,

[pinfrin]

One individual volunteer in an earlier period:
No. 9 Corporal (Motor Cyclist) HG Cooper, The Southern Provinces Mounted Rifles (Madras)
- Awarded a DCM. More at:
http://www.westernfrontassociation.c....1mmtV3jU.dpuf

Nice cap and badge - what is the approx. H x W of the cap badge please ?
(Am looking to buy one - not very sure of the size diff. between SPMR collar,
cap badges offered for sale from time to time on eBay etc.)

Have a small silver SPMR silver spoon. Can attach pic if interested.

[irish]

Will measure the badge and post size.

Thanks

[irish]

The badge measures 28mm X 28mm.

[magpie]

Shouldn't the badge be facing the other way the same as the buttons.

[irish]

Originally Posted by magpie

Shouldn't the badge be facing the other way the same as the buttons.

I had wondered the same thing. I found an example online that is part of a collection at the National Army Museum and it was also facing in this direction

[pinfrin]

The SPMR Regtl silver spoon (attd pic - I bought it last year)
has a bugle oriented as on the Blue Cap.

A line drawing in a book, however, shows the cap badge bugle the other way.

[davidwyke]

Hi Chaps

The cap badge shown in Cox and the buttons in my collection face the same way as on Jack's cap.

I can only assume the drawing in the book Pinfrin refers to is incorrect, or may possibly be a drawing of a collar badge or shoulder title.

David

[Roobarb]

I have the twin to this cap and the bugle faces the same way as the one posted also.



The NAM example can be seen here

[pinfrin]

Of ~ 40 Cap badges of pre 1939 IA Reg.* & Vol. Units
seems only a few Vols. - SPMR, ECVR, HVR sent bugles right.

*1, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 20, 52, 53, 56, 57,58,.... 104, ....125, (left)

[peter monahan]

As units, the AFI were tasked for home defence and 'aid to the civil power' in WWII, though there is an interesting history - I have a copy somewhere - of a group of the 'Calcutta Tight Horse', offcially the Calcutta Light Horse, who snuck into Goa, 'unoffcially' and took out a German ship which was supporting U boat and merchant raider operations in the Indian Ocean.
I can also easily imagine an AFI type who won an award while attached to an AI or British unit getting it issued with the name of his home unit on it, as Corproal Cooper apparently did.

[Khyber]

Yes. that's a lovely book: Boarding Party: the Last Action of the Calcutta Light Horse

[peter monahan]

That's the one! Thanks, Khyber. My copy is down in the pre-Deluge levels of my collection and I couldn't recall the title. Great read.