Dave Alexander

This is just working dress, or No 4. The RN has dresses 1 thru 5 and the No 1 even has 3 classes. 1A, 1B and 1C. All the traditional stuff has been kept.

Looks like Dutch - Wilhelms Order Knights Cross.

To me numbers look like 27062, if this helps.

17/21L amalgamated with the 16/5L in 1993 to form the Queen's Royal Lancers. Later this year the QRL will amalgamate with the 9/12L to form the Royal Lancers. Tom Romans was Trumpet Major in 17/21L when band was dis-banded and members kept their dress uniforms. Nice bonus.

#65 shows the demi-tasse for after dinner coffee in the Officer's mess. I smiled at the maker's mark of Fine "Bone" China. How apropos.

He would not have been serving per say, used more for recruiting, most ex serviceman can be allowed to wear a uniform if approved by the authorities.....hence the beard (by the way Pioneers are allowed beards and Jan Smuts seems to have got away with it)

Those of the Sikh religion don't cut their hair or shave either. Wish I'd thought of converting when I was in.

Not wishing to go into the details of my military service I'll just add to what Peter has touched on by saying that those who would glamourize war have never been in one. The following poem is by Siegfried Sassoon in WW I and hits close to home.

I knew a simple soldier boy

Who grinned at life in empty joy

Slept soundly through the lonesome dark

And whistled early with the lark

In winter trenches cowed and glum

With crumps and lice and lack of rum

He put a bullet through his brain

And no one spoke of him again

You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye

Who cheer when soldier lads march by

Sneak home and pray you'll never know

The hell where youth and laughter go.

Whenever I see people watching parades, waving flags and cheering, I recite the last verse to myself.

If he was British I doubt strongly that he would be wearing any Masonic trappings in public. My father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, uncles etc., were all Masons in the UK and kept it secret from me 'til I was in my teens. That's why they have the secret handshakes and conversational phrases to identify themselves. A laughable bunch of claptrap.

The Gaurdian article is a little vague, the QRL haven't been equipped with Challengers in years. The QRL are to be amalgamated with the 9/12L and will probably retain the motto as they did when the 17/21L and 16/5 came together even though the latter Regt was senior.

Check out "Passive radar" and you'll see why "stealth" technology has been obsolete for the better part of a decade.

Thank you, Dave. Very helpful. Do you perhaps know the relevance of the letter "L" surmounted by a crown?

L with crown is most probably Government stamp (King Leopold II).

ELG is Liege, Belgium proofmark. All sizes were metric yours would be 12mm. Most likely made in 1870s, the last pinfires to my knowledge were made in 1890 and they were shotguns.

With those rings on the nose I'd have to agree that it's probably an anti-aircraft shell wherein the shells could be set to detonate at certain heights. There would be little reason for a submarine to have this kind of ammo. For the caliber just measure from one side to the other at the point where the head and brass casing meet. The early Austrian submarines U20 class carried a 20mm (2.6 in) deck gun, they were succeeded by the U27 class with a 75mm (3.0 in) gun and late war the U43 class had an 88mm (3.5 in ) gun.

What are the dimensions? Bore size, height of casing, any stampings, letters, numbers?

Still a problem trying to post on this site, I type it out, hit "Post' get the flashing green light then nothing happens. No typo, Brian, I would put this pistol at 1790 or thereabouts.The first percussion caps came out in England in 1807 and most all flintlocks were converted to percussion over the next few years. The last flintlocks in N. America were produced for the US Army in 1830 and some 2,000 were still in use 30 yrs later during the Civil War. Usually you can see old screw holes sometimes filled in on the right hand side, but don't take it apart if you don't have the correct tools and experience, they can be tricky.

Should have added the time period I take to be mid to late 1700s. Good luck on Sunday.

My last post seems to have disappeared but as to maker I can only speculate. For the style and time period I would say to point your nose in the direction of Birmingham, England. These were "mass produced" even though handmade. One contractor for barrels, one for trigger assemblies etc.

Towards the front of the stock there is a pin that holds in the barrel. Tap that out from the right and remove it from the left. The barrel will come out and there should be a makers name on the bottom of it.

Already for sale on ebay $32.00 for full size and $13.00 for minis.

I believe the address should read "Corporation Street" not "Co-operation". Number 36 is no longer there, it now houses a builder's supply but number 12, his sister's house, is still standing.

Dave - we often know so little about our members. Should it not be too personal please tell us about your Branch of Service - and a little of your history. I take it you are retired ? Mervyn

Nothing spectacular, Merv. Served in the Army '59 - '71 mainly as a Tank Crewman later Commander. Far East, Middle East and Europe. Cross-trained as "Dismounted Cavalry" i.e. Infantry and loaned out to plug holes in units that were short on personnel. This was quite common in the late '50s and early '60s as National Service came to an end and recruiting replacements lagged far behind. Units going into "emergencies", Malaya/Malaysia/Borneo/ Arabian Peninsular were brought up to strength this way. After demob I emigrated to California, graduated from the University of Southern Calif with a couple of degrees in Engineering. Designed projects in various countries and retired to whack the little white ball a couple of years ago. I am in Florida at the moment as we sold a house we had here and am going back to Calif next week, we still have a home on Maui also.

You're right, Merv, after a little checking I see its a left arm badge. During my service we didn't see much of the artillery and their only arm badges that I saw were woven.

These look like a privately made pair of cufflinks for sale to English speaking people. Both Btitish and American troops were there in 1942.

It is part of the Royal Artillery badge. For some reason it has been cut down. If you search "Royal Artillery Badge" you will see the complete thing.

Robin, # 53 is modern QRL and # 54 is 17/21L Mess Dress which was popular through the 40s & 50s as you can see from the rather dated lapels. In the 60s these all but disappeared as the Regt was split up and different Squadrons were sent to "incidents" in South East Asia, Aden and the Persian Gulf. By the mid 60s the Regt had reformed in Germany and the messes became more stabilized but few members of the Sgts/WOs mess ever possessed these preferring lounge suits or sports coats/blazers. Don't know the status of the present QRL as they are rotating Sqns to Afghanistan, where, incidentally, my Grandfather served in the 20s. "The more things change, the more they stay the Same"