Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy
I had assumed the pouchbelt man was an officer, he might be the sergeant major but his cuff adornments might not be ranking.
The man next on his right has a badge above chevrons ...... as photo is clearly pre 1881 it is not the eight point star of a QMS. Might he be a sergeant major?
The man identified as musketry instructor appears not to have crossed muskets in addition to a single badge above 4 chevrons.
It is a pity that the photo lacks clarity.
All in all a strange group ...... a frogged member of the Bugles in the back row, and one from the Bugles seated without frogging.
Incidentally, Dawnay was a bit vague on Rifles badging in the period, rather wisely.
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There are no officers in the photo. The SNCOs pouch belt is and always has been narrower than that of an officer, and with a slightly smaller, lesser quality badge on its front. The entire image comprises a sergeants’ mess with the SM and QMS presiding front and centre. The sergeant major’s boots and trousers are of poorer cut and shape than an officer’s.
Only the staff sergeants’ pattern sword had a leather scabbard as seen here, officers scabbards were metal, brass for field rank and white metal for company officers. In this particular photo all rank stripes are point down, but the SM’s and QMS’s are lower down the sleeve.
The rifle brigade pattern crossed rifles and crown badge was more subdued in that 1860s period with just the crown having a richer appearance. You can see something of this in the other photos that I posted showing sergeant instructors, albeit from later periods. On this rare occasion I am 100% positive regarding my earlier analysis.
The 4-stripes badge of appointment of the sergeant instructor has been discussed many times before. I can recall even an extract of RVC orders referring to it, posted here by Graham Stewart. It was unique to regiments of rifles heritage. I’d date the photo to the years just before 1869.
NB. The Rifle Brigade had not in that period yet adopted their later famous gold braid outlined rank stripes and instead had stripes formed from an Lincoln green worsted tape on a rifle green backing. That is what is seen in the photo. The bugle major has a frogged jacket because he is dressed as first class, but colour sergeants, sergeants or lance sergeants have plain tunics.