1st Durham Volunteers at camp

[mooke07]

Hi all,

Two photographs of 1st Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry groups at camp. Sergeants with white fittings and cross and waist belts. QVC crown belt buckle and not sure if flat topped or KC forage cap badges. Officers in undress uniform perhaps and have dark arm sash perhaps observors for war games. Collar badges look like Churchill 1624 standard light infantry volunteers corded bugle. Two sergeants in both photographs. will blow up and study cap badges.

Be interested in dating them and any other details I should know but uniforms not my strong point.

Have posted in my Durham album.

cheers Dean.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by mooke07

Hi all,

Two photographs of 1st Volunteer Battalion Durham Light Infantry groups at camp. Sergeants with white fittings and cross and waist belts. QVC crown belt buckle and not sure if flat topped or KC forage cap badges. Officers in undress uniform perhaps and have dark arm sash perhaps observors for war games. Collar badges look like Churchill 1624 standard light infantry volunteers corded bugle. Two sergeants in both photographs. will blow up and study cap badges.

Be interested in dating them and any other details I should know but uniforms not my strong point.

Have posted in my Durham album.

cheers Dean.

Great photos Dean. The date would be after 1898, when the folding field service cap (FSC) was adopted, and before 1902 when it was replaced. Several of the sergeants are wearing the 4 pointed VF efficiency star that unusually was worn above all other badges, even crowns. You can therefore see it on right upper arms below the shoulder strap. It remained a badge of the VF until 1908 when its usage changed. Quite a few of the men also have efficiency badges. A diamond shaped efficiency badge was worn on their right lower arm just above the distinctive Austrian knot that was such a key identifier of the VF uniform. This badge was issued after one year to those efficient in drill and musketry and, if competence was maintained, a star was added above it for every 5 years (later 4). If a man missed a year he was allowed to keep the stars he had earned, but not the diamond, which had to be removed as he had lost 'currency'. The idea of course was to incentivise attendance and diligence in training. Several of the men have 3 stars on their lower right sleeve thus indicating at least 15 years of attendance and efficiency (competence).

The universal stringed bugle horn was used for shoulder titles, collar badges and even as a cap badge when the FSC first came into use, until such time as the new regimental cap badges were designed over the succeeding year. The FSC was not known in Army nomenclature as a forage cap, but as a field cap and specifically for "use in the field and on manoeuvres", which is clearly where these men are. The tunics are an unusual type with a removable cloth flap across the top left of the chest intended to protect the white embroidered shoulder strap badges when the Lee Metford (and later Lee Enfield) rifle was carried 'at the slope', as the previous Martini Henry rifle had always been carried tucked in vertically 'at the shoulder'.

In the second picture is the commanding officer (CO) sat down and wearing blue patrol uniform and flanked by his Adjutant (cross legged on ground) and battalion sergeant major (seated behind Adjt), both of whom are also in blue patrols. You can see the the CO has a riding whip, as he is a field officer and entitled to a 'charger' (horse) along with the Adjt who, although a junior officer, also had that mode of transport by virtue of his appointment as the CO's staff officer. The sergeant major has 4 chevrons surmounted by a crown, an arrangement unique at the time to the VF. Sat on a barrel to the CO's right is a colour serjeant, who wears the same badge of rank as his regular counterpart, 3 stripes surmounted by crossed union flags and a crown. The flags were worn on scarlet uniforms only and removed altogether in 1915. In 1934 they were reintroduced as a badge to distinguish recruiting sergeants. The white cross belts were fitted with a whistle and chain and worn in place of the red sash by sergeants of light infantry regiments only.

I would estimate the photo to be between 1898-99 and just before the 2nd Boer War, to which several of these men might well have deployed.

[mooke07]

Hi Toby,

I am absolutely thrilled at your detailed reply. Thank you ever so much. I posted the photographs hoping that I may get some comments to aid me but wow you certainly know your stuff. I have learnt much from your reply and have read it several times already.

Again thanks from a very appreciative Durham enthusiast, cheers Dean.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by mooke07

Hi Toby,

I am absolutely thrilled at your detailed reply. Thank you ever so much. I posted the photographs hoping that I may get some comments to aid me but wow you certainly know your stuff. I have learnt much from your reply and have read it several times already.

Again thanks from a very appreciative Durham enthusiast, cheers Dean.

It is my pleasure Dean. I particularly enjoy seeing uniforms of the Victorian epoch and will be happy to help in any way that I can in future.

P.S. The 4 stripes badge of the sergeant major (at that time only one in the battalion and what we would now call the RSM) is especially interesting as it had long ceased being used by regulars and yet was the first badge used by that rank and entirely common in the Peninsula/Naploeonic wars.

Here is a slightly later, post 1908 VB sergeant major's tunic where the Austrian knots have been removed, but the 4 chevrons surmounted by crossed rifles and crown can still be seen. Notice the belt is fitted with slings at his left side as by virtue of his status the sergeant major was equipped with a sword.

[daverpol]

I have to salute Toby on his knowledge of the subject!
If it's of any help to anyone here's a link which shows part of the collection of Durham VB uniforms held at the DLI Museum.
http://ww2.durham.gov.uk/dlimuseum/p...Coats&WEB=MAIN

[cossack]

The 4 stripes with crossed muskets & crown above was for Sergeant-Instructors of Musketry which at the time was the most senior NCO rank for Volunteer units & was often the only NCO's on the permanent staff of the battalions.
If anyone is interested, I can post a pic of the Sergeants 4-pointed efficiency star being worn above the rank insignia as mentioned previously?
Andy

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by cossack

The 4 stripes with crossed muskets & crown above was for Sergeant-Instructors of Musketry which at the time was the most senior NCO rank for Volunteer units & was often the only NCO's on the permanent staff of the battalions.
If anyone is interested, I can post a pic of the Sergeants 4-pointed efficiency star being worn above the rank insignia as mentioned previously?
Andy

Andy, I think that the man in the photo with the CO and Adjt is the sergeant major, as he is wearing blue patrols. At that time, 1880-1890s, blue patrols were an officers item of dress and it was not until on, or just after the turn of the century, that we have seen a coarse serge version for ORs introduced. As the battalion's only sergeant major (and all battalions had one), he was the only OR with the status to wear an officers pattern of uniform, rather like the RSM wears officers SD today. That said I agree with you that 4 stripes with crossed rifles and crown above was worn by Regular Army sergeant instructors of musketry on the permanent staff of VF units (pre 1908), probably to ensure they had 'one up' on the VF Colour Serjeants. Are you saying that the sergeant instructor was another, or alternative title for the sergeant major figure within a VF battalion?

I will research this aspect further and report back what I find.

[cossack]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

Andy, I think that the man in the photo with the CO and Adjt is the sergeant major, as he is wearing blue patrols. At that time, 1880-1890s, blue patrols were an officers item of dress and it was not until on, or just after the turn of the century, that we have seen a coarse serge version for ORs introduced. As the battalion's only sergeant major (and all battalions had one), he was the only OR with the status to wear an officers pattern of uniform, rather like the RSM wears officers SD today. That said I agree with you that 4 stripes with crossed rifles and crown above was worn by Regular Army sergeant instructors of musketry on the permanent staff of VF units pre 1908. Are you saying that the sergeant instructor was another, or alternative title for the sergeant major figure within a VF battalion?

I will research this aspect further and report back what I find.

Hi Toby,
I am going a lot on my Great-grandfathers role as a Sergeant-Instructor in a VB having previously held the same rank in the RMLI, I have a picture of him in 1894 in essentially an officers version of the rifle tunic & there is an almost identical example in a photo in the westlake book. Also, in going through his battalion orders, there was a sergeant-instructor assigned to each detachment of the battalion & they are always listed as the most senior NCO. I also have a picture of him in 1901 in blue patrol jacket again with his 4 stripes etc.
I'll be interested to know what you find!

Regards....Andy

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by cossack

Hi Toby,
I am going a lot on my Great-grandfathers role as a Sergeant-Instructor in a VB having previously held the same rank in the RMLI, I have a picture of him in 1894 in essentially an officers version of the rifle tunic & there is an almost identical example in a photo in the westlake book. Also, in going through his battalion orders, there was a sergeant-instructor assigned to each detachment of the battalion & they are always listed as the most senior NCO. I also have a picture of him in 1901 in blue patrol jacket again with his 4 stripes etc.
I'll be interested to know what you find!

Regards....Andy

Yes it is very intriguing Andy and I will report back for the benefit of all. Here is a Colour Serjeant of a RWF volunteer battalion showing the SNCOs efficiency star being correctly worn above his badge of rank, crown and all. Notice the plain blue forage cap issued in 1905 to replace the Brodrick cap and a fine view of his cap badge, sealed only 7-years before, in 1898.

[Toby Purcell]

I also enclose a photo of the tunics with removable protective shoulder flaps, as worn by a camp quarter guard of the NF.

[mooke07]

Thanks for the interesting series of posts and pleased the photographs set off a good and informative discussion.

Sorry was late in replying but was flying to the US, regards Dean.

[cossack]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

Yes it is very intriguing Andy and I will report back for the benefit of all. Here is a Colour Serjeant of a RWF volunteer battalion showing the SNCOs efficiency star being correctly worn above his badge of rank, crown and all. Notice the plain blue forage cap issued in 1905 to replace the Brodrick cap and a fine view of his cap badge, sealed only 7-years before, in 1898.

& as promised, here is one 'in the flesh' so to speak!
Regards....Andy

[mooke07]

Further to my photographs of the 1st VB Durham Light Infantry by doing some further research I note that on St Cuthbert's Darlington Boer War memorial that the names of those from the battalion that served are listed. There are the names of about 40 officers, NCO's and OR's. As Toby has indicated they served with the 1st Battalion DLI and some fought as mounted troops as a half-company of the 23rd Mounted Infantry. The names include a Captain H. Bowes, Lt. H. Ensor, Lt. FS. Warwick and Sgts. EJ. Davidge, E. Hogg and E. Sheriff. None were listed as KIA. Many of these would be in the photographs I posted.

A medal auction site had a QSA for a former 1st VB DLI soldier - Pte Macklan who died of disease with the Imperial Yeomanry and so there were obviously more from the 1st VB that went to South Africa. The DLI museum website has a picture of the khaki tunic worn by the 1st Battalion DLI at that time and the only badge shown is a brass curved Durham shoulder title, the buttons were leather covered and no badges of rank were worn.

Additionally there is a picture of the 1st VB DLI band on the tomorrows-history.com website of Made in the North East. It is very similar and is dated 1898. The bandmaster and bandsmens uniforms are like the full dress tunics but only more ornate. The badges are again the same. The bandmaster is a Mr Hoggett.

The CO of the 1st VB DLI up until it became a TF Battalion was Lt. Col Rowland Burdon (1857-1944) but I cannot ascertain when he took command.

[Toby Purcell]

I said I would research further and then report back. Graham Stewart has very kindly provided me with the reference material I required (see enclosed). This has corroborated in my mind that the man sat with the CO and Adjt in a Blue Patrol jacket is the Acting Sergeant Major.