Royal Welsh Fusiliers with unusual fitting.

[High Wood]

I bought this badge today because of the unusual fitting which may not be intact. Has anyone seen a similar fitting? The badge is a normal size cap badge.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by High Wood

I bought this badge today because of the unusual fitting which may not be intact. Has anyone seen a similar fitting? The badge is a normal size cap badge.

I saw a photo of a RWF Drummer wearing a fife case on his waistbelt and on the securing flap was that cap sized badge, it drew my eyes immediately because I’d never seen it before and RWF are of particular interest to me. The boxed lug is typical of similar badges for Worcestershire Regiment and late pattern Foot Guards valise badges and apparently designed to be pushed through similar shaped holes in buff leather and secured in place by a cotter pin, or bolt-head on the post. Like music case (aka bandsmen’s pouch) badges these were not Ordnance issue at public expense, but purchased by the regiment via profits from unit canteens. It seems to have been a short-lived practice and I saw just the one photo (it was online and I wish that I’d saved it now). It was from between the 2nd Boer war and the 1920s and I think was the foreign service battalion, although I can’t remember for 100% sure.

[High Wood]

That is very interesting, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by High Wood

That is very interesting, thank you for sharing your knowledge.

This is the type of fife case that I saw, but with the badge on the flap. The fusilier regiments had once maintained a special tradition of retaining a separate group of fifers to drummers under a fife major (in addition to drum major). This was connected with their remit to dress in the style of grenadiers (other regiments flank companies often brigaded (formed into battalions) as grenadiers, apparently marched into action to the sound of a large fife and drum corps). I don’t know when that fife major tradition died out, but it certainly had gone by the time of the Cardwell Reforms in July 1881, and I’m not suggesting that it’s in any way connected with the badge.

[High Wood]

Thank you again, much appreciated.

[grumpy]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

This is the type of fife case that I saw, but with the badge on the flap. The fusilier regiments had once maintained a special tradition of retaining a separate group of fifers to drummers under a fife major (in addition to drum major). This was connected with their remit to dress in the style of grenadiers (other regiments flank companies often brigaded (formed into battalions) as grenadiers, apparently marched into action to the sound of a large fife and drum corps). I don’t know when that fife major tradition died out, but it certainly had gone by the time of the Cardwell Reforms in July 1881, and I’m not suggesting that it’s in any way connected with the badge.

Fife Majors were occasionally appointed but never established, noted in 1812 and as late as 1902, the latter of the Cheshire regiment in Burma wearing the staff cap.