Victoria Mounted Rifles
 

Hi, I just wanted to share my Victoria Mounted Rifles badges. I recently acquired the second of the 2 in Owens book. It was marked as a pouch badge in Owen, but the badge I have has lugs. Does anyone have any information on these 3 badges? My assumption is that the 2 star shaped badges are earlier and the script letter helmet plate is a later badge(later being pre NMR). Also does anyone know of any other VMR badges not shown here? Have a great weekend. Andrew

Well done Andrew, thanks for showing them. Some exceptionally rare badges!
I have always liked the early badges with the floreate lettering.
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks Alex, have a great evening.

Excellent badges. Thanks for posting them. I think that we need a few more posts like this to get the interest levels up .

Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

Andrew,
can you tell us the approx. dates of your badges?
I attach a pic from one of my books, showing Trooper F Rathbone and another VMR member photographed in Stanger in 1879. My book tells me the VMR were formed in 1862, and in the AZW they had a strength of 47 men. They fought at Nyezane.

Hi Rob, thank you for the picture. I am assuming that the star shaped badges are the earlier version. The other badge is the same design as badges I have seen of the other predecessors of the NMR, and the Umzimkulu Mounted Rifles were only formed in 1884. The first NMR badge also has this design. Other than this, I can't date them. I have seen a photograph depicting the VMR during the Zulu War wearing a small VMR title on a cap in an Osprey book. The picture you shared is also there. Looking at the pictures in this book, it appears that few of these units wore badges on their helmets when preparing for battle. Any additional info would be greatly appreciated. Regards Andrew

Hi Andrew
my collecting interest is in the weapons rather than the insignia of the Natal Volunteers, but you may possibly find something of tangential interest in these 2 articles that a pal and I penned a few years ago
Rob

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol156wd.html
and
http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol161wd.html

PM sent

Hi Rob, Thank you. Excellent article and really great pictures. Have a great day. Andrew