Essex oddity
 

Greetings all.

The picture clearly shows an Officer of The Essex Regiment, sporting medal ribbons for a WW1 pair.

His helmet has a QVC plate.

Attachment 224818


Picture obviously taken 20 or so years after QVC was replaced by KC.

I love a "Why was that then".

Regards.

Brian

He is like Captain America, a super soldier, frozen and then thawed out 25 years later to fight The Hun in 1914.

There was apparently no absolute rule that badges with older crowns had to be replaced. Soldiers ( or officers in this case) that still had uniform items with the older crown could still be worn many years later, although twenty years is a bit surprising.
You can bet your bottom dollar (or Pound) that there were some men in the trenches still sporting QVC badges.
CB

This chap doesn't look old enough to have served for the 17-odd year gap in question!

I agree though stuff was retained or recycled, that would be my bet here.

It would be privately bought or he may have inherited it or perhaps he just liked it.

In a similar vein the KOSB were in Episkopi garrison in 1996 and several officers took advantage of the Cypriot silversmith's talents to buy QVC silver KOSB bonnet badges!

May well be inherited and worn for the portrait, knew plenty of Officers and Guardsmen who would chance their arm and wear a relatives Cap Star, Uniform item or sword for that special occasion away from the Sergeant Major's prying eyes!

Simon.

Indeed, some regiments never updated their crown, i.e., the QO Corps of Guides in India and the QO Oxfordshire Hussars.

CB

I like the idea that he had his fathers helmet and sword! Regards Mark

Simply because he did not replace it with a new plate, if it actually belonged to him in the first place, which was not unusual, although, twenty years down the line, the helmet had been withdrawn in 1914 anyway, I should imagine he liked it.

Simon there were blokes in the Grenadier's wearing King George V brass's on their buff belts whilst i was serving.
Andy

Andy,

Old kit was always about as you say, on a slightly different note I remember attending a Jungle Warfare Instructors course in Brunei in the mid 80's and being issued a pair of the old rubber jungle boots from the Malaya Emergency days! Made things to last in them days!

Simon.

Thanks for all the replies chaps.

Of course, any one of them could be the correct answer, more than likely something we'll never know.

However, I do like the idea of him wearing his father's helmet and carrying his sword.

Regards.

Brian