Hi Dean
Good to see the latest addition to your Leicesters’ collection, and a very nice example it is at that - well done. Much better than the Gladman & Norman reproductions that abound on ebay, such as this one which comes complete with a fake Lambourne & Co. mark on a slider!:
One thing about the date you have for your new badge though is that I think it should be 1902-1908, and not 1881-1905 as you have it. If you remember when you posted up your
three lions badge, which the 1st Vol. Battn apparently wore before they adopted the tiger, you made reference to a work by Ray Westlake which gave the dates of that badge as 1895-1902 (incidentally if you could let me have this exact reference I’d be most grateful). I know that it was only from 1901 onwards that volunteer battalions were allowed to wear the cap badges of their parent regiments (see Julian’s posting
here ), so 1902 as a start date for these white metal tigers would seem right.
Further, my understanding was that the 1st Vol. Battn badges with the ‘South Africa 1900.02’ top scroll, which as I noted
here was only awarded in 1905, were actually officers’ badges - at least the only ones I’ve seen so far are officers’ ones! This does make me wonder what the officers wore before 1905? I suppose it might have been the same as your badge only with blades? Equally I’m not personally aware of any ORs’ badges with the ‘South Africa 1900.02’ on them, so assume they just continued to wear the one like you have - unless someone else knows different of course?!
Anyway, great to see the new badge mate and thanks for sharing it. By the way, if anyone out there has an original 1st Vol. Battn like Dean’s that they are looking to part with please drop me a PM.
Best regards
Martin