[Drew]

Great photos, Peter. Many thanks. Thanks also for your thoughts about taking each one separately. Thank you both for your interesting examples.

I have been trying to note differences between battalions who had similar affiliations. For example, looking for uniform differences between the 6th, 9th, 11th, 12th and 21st battalions (to use the post-1908 designations), and also doing the same for those with RB links. Perhaps then it would be easier to interpret photographs or bits of uniform, on those occasions where other determining features, like cap badge, are missing. This is one reason for my interest in the plumes. The QVR certainly stand out with their regimental buttons (and also some other differences I can note). However, discerning differences between, for example, the 6th and the 12th, may be harder. They both had rifles buttons and the 12th Bn's history seems to say they were clothed 'as for the KRR'.

I had hoped differences in the colours of the plume might be another clue, and Peter's comments are very intersting here about battalion differences. Leigh's excellent example seems to show, that at least pre-1908, they followed the norm. However, it will be intereting to see what happened after this period.

I am probably digressing too much from the thread title, but just to say that I would like to build up a more solid idea, or picture, of what the different but similarly clothed battalions wore, and then post it on the forum.
Does anyone know where I might start looking for evidence? Would there be anything official at the National Archives or is my best bet regimental records and publications? It is probably just a matter of slowly building up evidence over time, but if there are any official records, I would be very interested.

Many thanks for your help with this.

Chris