Rutland Home Guard - Post War

[Postwarden]

A battledress uniform to the 1st (and only) Rutland Post War HG Bn has just been sold for a considerable sum on Ebay.

If the purchaser is a member I would be grateful if they could PM me as they might be able to help me with a new book project.

Jon

[Luke H]

Do you have a link to the auction Jon?

[manchesters]

Here you go Luke.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-Veter...p2047675.l2557

regards

[Luke H]

Thanks Simon.

[ARPCDHG]

From 'Remember Britain's Home Guard' Facebook group:

"A (Post-war) Home Guard Oddity... Much In Little?

This evening, a post-war Home Guard battledress has sold for an eye-watering whopping £477.00 - the most I have seen in 35 years, more even than a top-quality wartime HG BD set.

This is a hell of a lot of money and reflects the huge bonkers prices militaria sellers charge and collectors increasingly pay since the pandemic.

To a certain degree, in this case, there is some logic. Followers of this group may have noted that I have stated several times how rare post-war HG items are compared to wartime HG, even though wartime HG is more popular. At its peak, the wartime HG reached almost 2 million men and women - the post-war HG only reached around 37,000 at most, meaning, uniforms and insignia are, in theory, over 50 times rarer!

Nonetheless, prices for post-war HG militaria have only risen in the last decade at most and I certainly recall post-war HG badges and uniforms unloved and passed over at militaria fairs not that long ago...

So does this explain the price this BD has gone for - and is it everything it appears to be?

Rutland is England's smallest county (its motto is 'Much In Little), so, just like its wartime predecessor, its post-war HG force comprised of just one battalion and due to the post-war HG's limited popularity, battalions were often no more than platoon number in size (!), making the area titles on this uniform rare in themselves.

The auction listing offers no backstory to the BD, just the BD's sizes. The rank insignia, however, indicate a Lieutenant-Colonel - which is a unique position, as a Lt-Col is head of the battalion - so, in theory, it makes it possible to name the actual former owner of this BD.

Research for my book on the Leicestershire and Rutland HG 'To The Last Round' reveals that the head of the post-war Rutland HG from 1952 was Lt-Col Thomas C.S. Haywood OBE JP (10.3.1911-23.1.2003), who lived at Gunthorpe Hall, Oakham. He was a local worthy who served as Lord Lieutenant of Rutland and did much for his (adopted) county, so much so, The Times noted that he was known as 'Mr Rutland'.

The uniform's medal ribbons are (from left) WW2 Defence Medal, WW2 War Medal and the Territorial Decoration.

There are, however, a few confusing and puzzling if not concerning features. Whilst the trousers are labelled, the BD tunic is not. It could be that this is a local private purchase tailored tunic, so did not have a label. Alternatively, these labels are, unfortunately, commonly removed by the unscrupulous if the date on the label does not tie-in with the service period of the accompanying (added) badging.

The 'HOME GUARD' shoulder titles are sewn on the shoulder seam: the regular army did this but the wartime HG were forbidden from doing so and official instructions said the title had to be just below the seam. This is a common mistake made by those fabricating HG tunics. However, very occasionally, both wartime and post-war HGs ignored this rule.

If this was the BD of T.C.S. Haywood, why does the trouser label have the apparent name 'N. Tate' written on them? Would so high a rank HG officer wear someone else's secondhand trousers? Or have the trousers and tunic been put together since?

This is a confusing battledress - it could be right or it could be wrong. I would be interested to hear others views on this high-price item. Did the buyer just splash out on the BD - there are enthusiastic Rutland collectors - or do they know something that we don't? If you bought the BD and wish to anonymously provide an answer, I would also be interested.

Either way, this illustrates the difficulty historians and collectors face with such uniforms that come without any provenance."

[Luke H]

A very interesting read thanks for posting.

Whilst I know nothing about battledress or cloth insignia, my own thoughts would be firstly a Lt. Col. is very likely to be wearing tailored attire and second a person of such rank is unlikely to get pulled up on positioning of their insignia.

If the BD, insignia and ribbons individually pass the muster with those in the know as being genuine and period then I’d lean towards it being correct and belonging to the man named but with the trousers as a later addition.

Sadly with the proliferation of fakery and sexing up of all manner of militaria especially by several highly skilled forgers who are well known to this forum it’s unsurprising and wise that everything not strictly matching what is known to be correct is questioned and scrutinised.

[Skippy]

I have followed for many years and won auctions with that eBay seller on a number of occasions for both military and non military pieces and always been very happy with what I have received.

The seller appears to have regular access to estate clearances that frequently turn up military groupings that often appear to be the former uniforms and accoutrements of officers from various branches and commonwealth linked countries armed forces (I failed to bid on a MKII airborne helmet that was named inside and clearly attributable to a Parachute Regiment CO who commanded his battalion in South Arabia, which you could see in chips the sand coloured layer of paint under the green repaint all over the original paint - I still kick myself about that one!).

Because of the regular supply and quality of items, that seller is popular on eBay and so their good stuff always hits high prices, which I would suggest could have also contributed to the high price of this BD.

I purchased separately two genuine WWII 1944 second pattern Denison smocks; one with a 1945 manufacture stamp and clearly an officer's given the holes in the epaulettes and the wonderful condition; the second well used, with some damage and soiling, as well as bearing genuine WWII British parachute qualification wings matching a set left with our family by our great uncle KIA during Market Garden.

That second Denison a bit like this BD was listed with information of "from the estate of an Arnhem veteran". But super annoyingly the eBay seller never provided any details of who's estate it came from despite email requests and I suspect that will be the case for the winner of this BD too if they were to enquire.

Read into that what you like about the possible marketing practises of the seller, but their items are in my individual experience have always been excellent.

Cheers......John

[KLR]

I found a note came across the
'Rutland Volunteer Regiment (1st Battalion)'
It was thought that it might be a 1st WW unit.

Moreover, I found a Rutland badge - bronze with EW loops


Does anyone know about the unit


and the actual badge - issued 1914 or 1939 ???



thanks.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by KLR

I found a note came across the
'Rutland Volunteer Regiment (1st Battalion)'
It was thought that it might be a 1st WW unit.

Moreover, I found a Rutland badge - bronze with EW loops


Does anyone know about the unit


and the actual badge - issued 1914 or 1939 ???



thanks.

Found this thread from 2014 :

Rutland home guard badge in WW1 photo

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ad.php?t=40827



.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by KLR

I found a note came across the
'Rutland Volunteer Regiment (1st Battalion)'
It was thought that it might be a 1st WW unit.

Moreover, I found a Rutland badge - bronze with EW loops


Does anyone know about the unit


and the actual badge - issued 1914 or 1939 ???



thanks.

Photo titled :

Field Marshall Lord French inspecting Rutland Volunteer Regiment Oakham 13th May 1917

https://www.langhaminrutland.org.uk/rvreg.htm


.

[KLR]

Thanks, did the horseshoe badge worn in both wars ???
Were there any variants

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by KLR

Thanks, did the horseshoe badge worn in both wars ???
Were there any variants

Not my area but I found bits of info on the internet that indicate the horse shoe badge was in use from their Militia era.

An article from the Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research
Vol. 2, No. 7 (JANUARY, 1923) states :

The Rutland Militia had the Golden Horseshoe of the Royal and ancient Borough of Oakham as its badge, and this is still dis-

.(full article requires log-in)

Also found a photo on Rutland History site showing Militia button and and an other rank’s scroll cap badge for an undress Balmoral cap.