Named Rifle Volunteer Captain?

[High Wood]

Can anyone please suggest which unit this Officer served with? I think that it might be a southern English rifle volunteer corps and as I have a possible surname for him it would be good to know if your thoughts match one of the possible options regarding his unit.

[manchesters]

Robin Hood Rifles for me.

regards

[High Wood]

That is interesting as it may have a link with one of the possible regiments that he served with. I am not sure about the lineage of the Robin Hoods Rifles, but the man that I have in mind transferred from the 1st battalion Sherwood Foresters (Derbyshire Regt) as a captain in 1891 to the 18th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. By 1891, I would have thought the the Derbyshire Regiment had been amalgamated with the Nottinghamshire Regiment for ten years.

The photograph was taken by a London photographer and the officer lived in Kensington.

[manchesters]

Looks a lot like this RHR set in Silver, but, the Army List has him clearly only associted with London units, so probably photographed as Colonel Commandant 18th Middlesex RV

regards

[High Wood]

There were at least four British Army officers with the surname Dalbiac who served during the reign of Queen Victoria, I may not have the right one and will need to do some more research. They all seem to have had a south London or Kensington connection regarding their place of residence.

The back of the photographic mount has the following, "Mrs Dalbiac, 37 Ladbroke Rd", she was presumably the person who placed the order for the photograph to be framed, she may not of course have been his wife.

[High Wood]

Other possible candidates.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by High Wood

There were at least four British Army officers with the surname Dalbiac who served during the reign of Queen Victoria, I may not have the right one and will need to do some more research.

Could this be a younger version ?

It is Philip Hugh Dalbiac , taken in 1897.

[High Wood]

Originally Posted by mike_vee

Could this be a younger version ?

It is Philip Hugh Dalbiac , taken in 1897.

I found the same photograph on the internet. As it dates from 1897, I don't think that the older man in the original photograph would have worn a Rifle Volunteer uniform much after 1908 and I don't think that he aged that much in 11 years. Not impossible, but unlikely.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by High Wood

Other possible candidates.

Henry Shelly Dalbiac (born in June 1850) - Killed in action May 25th 1900 in Senekal.

In February 1900, with British forces fareing badly in the Boer War, he re-joined the Army and took an active part in raising the 34th Company (Middlesex) Imperial Yeomanry before embarking with them for South Africa.

http://www.pelhamwest.plus.com/west75-henrydalbiac.htm


.

[High Wood]

Mike,

thank you for the latest update.

I had seen this web page as well. The article states that Henry Shelley Dalbaic served in Afghanistan (1879) and inEgypt in 1882. I would have expected to see those campaign ribbons on the uniform that he is wearing in the photograph, if it is indeed him. However, I think that we can rule him out.

Simon.

[High Wood]

This is the bullion badge on the officer's sabretache, does it help to identify the regiment or is it a generic type?

[manchesters]

Robin Hood Rifles, R H R

[High Wood]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Robin Hood Rifles, R H R

Brilliant, that takes us back full circle.

[High Wood]

Cracked it, many thanks for the Robin Hood's input. It does appear to be Philip Hugh Dalbiac after all.

[cbuehler]

But when was the first photo taken? It shows a middle aged bald man as a Captain the the RHR, looking to be from the 1880s.
The second photo in civies shows an apparently younger man in 1897. Both photos show the same man however. Did he acquire a toupee along the line?
As a commentary on the uniform, I find it somewhat odd in design and tailoring as so many volunteer and yeomanry were at the time. Basically an Hussar tunic with modifications, and baggy sleeves which were more common to uniforms of the 70s and 80s.
CB