!st Lancaster Mounted Rifle Volunteers Helmet
 

I thought I would post some images of a fairly obscure Albert pattern dragoon pattern helmet to the 1st Lancashire Mounted Rifle Volunteers that I have in my collection. The helmet is over-all silver plated with all silver fittings to include chin chain which is lined in red leather. The only exception to all silver fitting is the plume boss or rosette at the top of the white over red barber brush plume which is gilt. The helmet liner is also in red leather. The helmet plate is a three-or four-part construction consisting of the wreath, the star, the title scroll, and the disk in the center of the title with the arms of Lancashire which appears to be a separate piece. The 1st Lancashire mounted Rifle Volunteers were short lived from approx. February 1860 to November 1861 with an establishment of 3 officers and not more than 50 other ranks. in 1861 they were disbanded and reconstituted as Light Horse Volunteers with changes to the helmet plate. I hope readers find this of interest.

super helmet thanks for showing it

Very nice helmet

THANK YOU! it is very king of you to say so. I have to admit, I am rather proud of it... I do think it is a gorgeous helmet, wish you could view it in person!

Cheers

VERY nice indeed!

Terry

Thank you, Terry... it looks better in-person!

I would never connect this to Mounted Rifles, nor to Light Horse. Apparently those units were rather free in adapting the uniform they liked, fitting or not. With indeed gorgeous result.

Yes, it seems that those Mounted Rifle and Light Horse Volunteer units of the late 1850s and early 1860s were very dapper and dashing in their dress and very much at the discretion of their respective commanding officers. If you have an interest in the uniforms of the Mounted Rifle Volunteers or Light Horse Volunteers I would recommend a couple of articles that appeared in the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research: Vol. 71, No. 286 (Summer 1993), JOHN SIMMONS TREGONING and the MOUNTED RIFLE VOLUNTEERS & LIGHT HORSE VOLUNTEERS IN LIVERPOOL 1860-1863; Vol. 48, No. 196 (WINTER 1970), AN OFFICER OF THE 1st LANCASHIRE LIGHT HORSE VOLUNTEERS AND A LADY, c. 1865; Vol. 36, No. 148 (DECEMBER, 1958), H. Y. Usher, HELMETS OF THE LANCASHIRE MOUNTED RIFLE VOLUNTEERS AND THE 1st LANCASHIRE LIGHT HORSE VOLUNTEERS; Vol. 22, No. 87 (Autumn, 1943), H. Y. Usher, THE LIGHT HORSE AND MOUNTED RIFLE VOLUNTEER CORPS. In fact, a photograph of an example of my helmet appears in one of the articles by H. Y. Usher… it's indeed a rare and exquisite helmet! I hope you find this of interest, happy reading!

David

A wonderful survivor

Hello Jerry,

Thank you! It is indeed unique piece of British Volunteer force uniform history, and I am thrilled to hold it in my collection of helmets!

Kind regards,

David