2nd Volunteer Battalion Wiltshire Regiment
 

Added a album of 2nd vol battion for a few days
Following Cardwell reforms of 1881 only one volunteer battalion was raised for the Wiltshire Regiment until the formation of the T/A in 1908 There was no 1st vol battalion
Now for wringing of hands and banging of heads on a brick wall -o yes there is a 1st Volunteer battalion I”be seen a cap badge for sale
Following army order of 1918 one of the Wiltshire V T C became the 1 st Volunteer battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment with a strength of 820 men guarding railway track A couple of 1 st Volunteer cap badges have been for sale recently -one with some other suspect Volunteer Battalions badges
1st Volunteer Battalion Wiltshire Regimental History (1st World War) published in 1919 compiled by the adjutant Capt F C Whiting
The cap badge on the front if the NORMAL Wiltshire cap badge - If they had thier own cap badge and I suspect very proud of it You would assum this to be on the cover If there is photo evidence of this badge being worn I would like to see it As far as I” am aware the museum does not have this badge in thier collection
Sensible /observations welcome
David

David,

I am confused?

The 1st VB Wiltshire Regt did exist, raised at Warminster in the 1880's same time as the 2nd VB at Chippenham.

regards

I think they were titled 1st Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers rather than VB and wore a RV cap badge.

Correct Alan will show these 'boards at a later date

Alan,

i believe that designation was only gained in 1891.

For 10 years prior I believe they were the 1st VB Wilts.

regards

1860 10th Warminster Rifle volunteers raised amalgamated with 5 others 1880 to form 1st corps at Warminster 1908 became 4th battalion In 45 years of collecting never seen 1st volunteer items , none in the regiment museum collection nothing in their archives
Simon as my post please give photo evidence of any 1st volunteer badges as worn

They became the 1st Volunteer Bn The Wiltshire Regiment in 1881.

Their title of 1st Wilts RVC wasnt given to them until December 1891.

That gives them 10 years as 1VB Wilts.

I am unsure why you are ignoring these readily available facts.

They are shown in every Army List for 10 years as such.

regards

I have two 1st Wiltshire RVC badges, one being the ‘Moonraker’ the other is the same as the regulars but in white metal with 1st Wiltshire RVC on the scroll.

I wonder why they refused to take up the 1st VB title on their insignia? It’s not unknown elsewhere too.

Keith like you I have these I know about the army list as per Manchesters reply , - 10 years with no insignia ?????
But as said before never seen any insignia except for the cap badge as 1st post expect to be informed these are the badges of1881 Perhaps my 1st post should have been only one vol battalion raised who had insignia of the volunteers Decided to delete all albums not worth the effort of sharing items Thank you for a sensible/helpful reply
Wish others were the same
David

David,

How childish. My reply was very sensible/helpful as it was correcting your gross inaccuracy in your opening post. Quite simply there WAS a 1st VB Wilts for 10 years.

If you cant engage in a debate its without resorting to tantrums its a shame.

Let me add to the confusion of the correct designations.

The mass consolidation of 1880 created:
1st Administrative Battalion of Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers > 1st Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps
and
2nd Administrative Battalion of Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers > 3rd Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps

Later in 1880 there was the renumbering to fill the gaps:
3rd Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps > 2nd Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps

In 1881 both were attached to The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) as volunteer battalions, but the designations were not changed at that moment in time.

Over the years that followed regiment by regiment these volunteer battalions were re-designated as Volunteer Battalions. If I am correct, the first was Prince Albert's (Somersetshire Light Infantry) and the last re-designations were in about 1887. Not all volunteer battalions were re-designated. And for the Wiltshire Regiment the 1st was not and the 2nd was in 1887:
2nd Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps > 2nd Volunteer Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)

In 1891 those in power decided that all still existing Rifle Volunteer Corps should be re-designated as Volunteer Rifle Corps (I assume that most corps simply ignored this, in any case they did not change their badges to reflect this):
1st Wiltshire Rifle Volunteer Corps > 1st Wiltshire Volunteer Rifle Corps

In 1908, they merged to become:
4th Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment) (TF)

The 1st Surrey Rifles were never known the 1st VB East Surrey Regt. despite their status as such, likewise many of the Middlesex RVC's didn't take KRRC or Rifle Brigade VB numerical precedents.

However, somewhere along the line someone maybe in the war office was because Gaylor numbers them all in his book. The Harrow Rifles do have a badge stating 4th VB KRRC.

It appears some RVC's chose not to and continued to produce their insignia accordingly.

I'm sure a trawl through Westlake will come up with more.

A quick count of RVCs that changed into VRCs in 1891 in this list https://hcvv.home.xs4all.nl/milweb/G...nges-1908.html gives 40 of which 21 Middlesex ones.

This count does not include the 27th Middlesex (Harrow School) VRC (created in 1902).

The list is based on Westlake and maybe easier to browse then the book :)

Back to The Wiltshire’s. Westlake clearly states “Became a VB (without a change in title) of the Wiltshire Regiment in 1881”.

My interpretation of this is that that were never referred to as the 1st VB.

I agree with that. It’s not that there was no Wiltshire battalion with the status of 1st VB, it’s just that there was a specific decision not to use that title, and to retain instead a RVC/VRC title. As mentioned earlier, there were several units that did this, most famously the 1st Surrey’s. In general the transition from RVC to VB was hugely controversial because it brought the hitherto semi-independent VF and its gentlemens’ club culture into the same orbit as the two, constitutional forces, the regular army and the militia. There was significant resistance to this in specific areas and the refusal to adopt VB titles was a manifestation of that stance.