British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > British Military Insignia > Photographs of British Servicemen and Women Wearing Insignia

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 26-01-20, 01:02 AM
Stephen's Avatar
Stephen Stephen is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 117
Default Any information?

These are snips from a larger photo. Date is sometime around 1900-1910. Can anyone tell me anything about the men in the photo? Perhaps narrow the date from the valise equipment? Probably a long shot!

Much appreciated,

Stephen
Attached Images
File Type: jpg snip 1.jpg (60.6 KB, 66 views)
File Type: jpg snip 2.JPG (28.7 KB, 57 views)
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 26-01-20, 09:15 AM
Toby Purcell's Avatar
Toby Purcell Toby Purcell is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Completed colour service and retired
Posts: 3,202
Default

He is a bandsman wearing a regimental music case, Stephen. Sometimes known colloquially as a bandsman’s (music) pouch, they were slung diagonally across the shoulder with the pouch in the centre of the back, and intended so that when on the march with their battalion the bandsmen could carry their regimental music. Whitened and invariably with a specific type of regimental badge in the centre of the flap they became too an object of decoration to the uniform. Interestingly no one seems to have published a study of these pouch badges and so there is limited knowledge of them in the public domain. The pouches themselves are very rarely seen now and I’ve only observed them worn regularly still by the Band of the Royal Marines. The music case in the picture is of the older, larger pattern, with a scalloped flap. They are not worn by drummers, nor by the bands of the Foot Guards, who used a music case/pouch slung from the waist belt instead.

NB. The headdress in your photos is the glengarry cap, which indicates a date prior to 1896, when that style of headdress was replaced by the field service cap (known in modern times to soldiers as a ‘side cap’). The regiment shown is either English or Welsh line infantry without Royal appellation, as is indicated by the white facings (collar and cuffs). The other photo shows a squad fallen in for calling a roll, movement as a body, or purely for drill practice. They are wearing undress frocks (a loose fitting jacket with either 5 or 7 buttons depending on pattern), without facings. There is either an officer or SNCO stood in front at one end, most probably the latter. The men appear to hold magazine fed rifles, probably Lee-Metfords, at the order arms position (butt resting on the ground). If pushed I would date the photo to no later than 1895.

Last edited by Toby Purcell; 26-01-20 at 10:21 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 26-01-20, 12:19 PM
Stephen's Avatar
Stephen Stephen is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 117
Default

Thanks Toby, that adds a wealth for information to whats going on in the image. Really appreciate that!

Thanks again,

Stephen
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 26-01-20, 07:08 PM
Toby Purcell's Avatar
Toby Purcell Toby Purcell is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Completed colour service and retired
Posts: 3,202
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen View Post
Thanks Toby, that adds a wealth for information to whats going on in the image. Really appreciate that!

Thanks again,

Stephen
I was glad to help. If you can tell me the location of the barracks concerned, I may well be able to identify the regiment. If there are several such formed squads paraded simultaneously in the photo then it suggests the prelude to a battalion muster parade.

Last edited by Toby Purcell; 27-01-20 at 01:03 PM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 09:47 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.