Somerset Militia

[grenadierguardsman]

I hope I have posted this in the right place ? I wasn't sure ?
I have a relation that served in the Somerset Militia pre 1860's-70's. I was wondering what headdress badge would he have worn ? He also served in the 69th of Foot and was awarded the Canadian General Service Medal bar 1870 Fenian Raid and the Long Service and good Conduct Medal.
Andy

Ps. I don't have his medals

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by grenadierguardsman

I hope I have posted this in the right place ? I wasn't sure ?
I have a relation that served in the Somerset Militia pre 1860's-70's. I was wondering what headdress badge would he have worn ? He also served in the 69th of Foot and was awarded the Canadian General Service Medal bar 1870 Fenian Raid and the Long Service and good Conduct Medal.
Andy

Ps. I don't have his medals

There were two Somersetshire Militia Regiments. For an impression: Somersetshire Miltia

[Alan O]

OK - there are a couple of problems with those pre 1908 cap badges. Firstly the laurel wreath badge has been faked in huge numbers yet I have never seen one I would regard as original, Somerset Military museum does not have one and there are no images or letterheads that show it. It might be right but there is no evidence.

The SA scroll badge attributed to the 2nd Militia is a post 1908 Som TF badge. It replaced the Vb ones which had a SA scroll post 1905. Again no evidence that militia wore it.

In fact it is possible that the militia from 1900 onwards wore the side cap with no badge or a collar badge. As yet I can't find a militia photo showing a peaked cap in use with a full sized cap badge.

The part time nature of the militia meant that it is entirely possible they were not the top of the list for new uniforms so may never have received the Brodricks in 1903 or peaked caps in 1905 that would require a full sized badge.

[Wmr-RHB]

@Alan O,

so you think it is more to reality that I remove those two from that page?

[Alan O]

The wreath one is completely unidentified and unattributed so I would remove it.

There is nothing to suggest that the militia did not wear the JELLABAD scroll.

The SA scroll one is 1908-1916 Territorial Force so is in the wrong place.

Alan

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by Alan O

The wreath one is completely unidentified and unattributed so I would remove it.

There is nothing to suggest that the militia did not wear the JELLABAD scroll.

The SA scroll one is 1908-1916 Territorial Force so is in the wrong place.

Alan

Thus this regiment had no special badges for it's militia battalions.
My conclusion: I should remove both and move the white metal JELLALABAD one up.

Thanks for the heads up. I can only improve the lineage pages with information like this.

[Luke H]

The laurel badge is for the present time entirely spurious until some evidence of it in wear comes to light along with what sets such examples apart from the masses found online which all appear from the same die.

There is a SLI badge which I’m certain is genuine with a completely erased blank scroll, who wore it however is a matter for debate.

In short I’m unsure what cap badge the Militia wore and don’t recall ever reading anything definitive on that topic.

[Wmr-RHB]

Originally Posted by Luke H

T
In short I’m unsure what cap badge the Militia wore and don’t recall ever reading anything definitive on that topic.

I take this as confirmation to do the action I described above.

Thanks lot.

[Alan O]

The blank scroll one was attributed to one of the School Cadet Corps pre Ww1 by one of the local Somerset collectors from Taunton. Not to say that it was not also won by militia but so far no evidence to confirm any attribution.

[Wmr-RHB]

Done: Somersetshire Militia

(It could be that you have to refresh the page if you visited it earlier)

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by grenadierguardsman

I hope I have posted this in the right place ? I wasn't sure ?
I have a relation that served in the Somerset Militia pre 1860's-70's. I was wondering what headdress badge would he have worn ? He also served in the 69th of Foot and was awarded the Canadian General Service Medal bar 1870 Fenian Raid and the Long Service and good Conduct Medal.
Andy

Ps. I don't have his medals

Andy as background to this the Somersetshire Militia was one of those that had a particularly long history although like most there was some broken service. In simple terms there were originally two ‘regiments’ of Somersetshire Militia, First and Second with the former having existed quite a while longer. There were shakos worn in full dress each with its own star plate and a shared motto of ‘DEFENDEMUS’. I suspect that the rank and file had a more simple, generic star, as that was common for the regular line too. The heyday of these militia units was probably around the time of the Crimean War, when Britain’s economic might was in its ascendancy along with naval power and a well funded, albeit still relatively small army backed by keen auxiliaries.

In the mid 1870s both regiments became designated as light infantry, perhaps already being encouraged to align themselves with the ‘localised brigade depot’ system set up by Cardwell in 1874, whereby the 13th (First Somerset) Light Infantry regulars had been permanently assigned to Taunton’s barracks as their depot and HQ. Initially the militiamen were still wearing the old pork pie style Kilmarnock bonnets that in those days were omnipresent for line and militia rather like the beret for today’s infantry. Originally they had simple brass letters SM and a crown surmounted, but by the 1840s the universal militia insignia was a simple title scroll with Victorian crown over. During the 1870s a phased issue began of the plain blue glengarry cap and it’s probable that only sergeants and officers wore a special badge on these (see two QVC badges, one on red background), with perhaps the crown and title scroll (also on red background) remaining in use for the soldiers below that level.

Things changed quite famously following Childers 1881 Reforms, which took Cardwell’s arrangement a step further and, as part of that, the First and Second Somersetshire Militia (Light Infantry), became the 3rd and 4th Battalions The Prince Albert’s (Somersetshire Light Infantry) Militia. I disagree a little with Alan O in that while I think he’s right that there are many restrikes around, I believe there was a die for the Militia battalion’s own badge where the JELLALABAD honour at top was replaced by a spray of laurels. The various volunteer battalions each had their own versions of the bugle cap badge with additions reflecting their own lineage and service.

Like several counties Somersetshire had originally had two regular regiments assigned to its boundaries in 1782, as well as the two Militia Regiments. They were the 13th (First Somersetshire) and 40th (Second Somersetshire). In July 1881 the 40th became the 1st Battalion Prince of Wales's Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment).

I believe that Henk is absolutely correct with the badges that he’s laid out.

[Alan O]

I am not saying never just that no such badge has been found that is original and the paperwork of the militia does not show it either. With 2 battalions there should be a few around unless it was officers only?

The window for wear was possibly as short as 1904-08 as prior to that the collar would have been worn on the FSC or no badge on that or the slouch hat.

[Luke H]

Originally Posted by Toby Purcell

I disagree a little with Alan O in that while I think he’s right that there are many restrikes around, I believe there was a die for the Militia battalion’s own badge where the JELLALABAD offer at top was replaced by a spray of laurels.

Always happy to learn though so if you have a source for this claim and/or an example of a genuine badge I’d be delighted to see.

Until such time I maintain I’ve never seen a laurel SLI I’d regard as genuine, the two dies and their spurious features discussed here.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Alan O

I am not saying never just that no such badge has been found that is original and the paperwork of the militia does not show it either. With 2 battalions there should be a few around unless it was officers only?

I think SNCOs and officers only for most of the elaborate insignia Alan. From their formation in 1881 the rank and file would probably have still been wearing a quite simple and generic badge in the glengarry cap and probably just a shoulder title, or more likely generic LI bugle collar badge in the Austrian field service cap. I’m not sure the militia ever had the Brodrick at all, so first usage of a conventional badge as we know it probably around 1905+ when they received the peaked forage cap. Then 1908 they were morphed into the Special Reserve anyway, and became something else entirely as you know. Hence the few militia pattern badges that we see.

[Alan O]

I used to think that the VB did not have Brodricks (why would they as they bought them) but I have now seen VB titles being worn with Brodricks so a few did.

I am still dubious that bespoke OR's militia badge were made in any quantitys and for some (most) regiments I suspect there never was an ORs militia badge. Why go to the expense of such a thing?

Unfortunately attributed photos of the militia 1903-08 are very scarce.