peter monahan

Well done, that man!

I was going to say! Ya needs to get out more, brother!

A mean drunk? Not to impugne your lineage, Spaz, but you know... soldiers.. liquor... fighting in the canteen...

Were the originals stamped or cast? I can't recall at the moment. If the latter, then these are clearly reproductions, possibly for re-enactors, rather than originals or 'meant to deceive' fakes. In the Napoleonic period Br plates were cast and then engraved but I don't know about the later 19th century.

I know very little about electroplating metal either, except that the piece is immersed in a solution and has current run through it, which I would have thought would plate the whole surface, but I could very easily be wrong on that too. I agree that its worth checking with the regimental historians, if possible, for 'off make' kit. It's certainly the case that many Yeomanry units - essentially privately raised, at least in some periods - played fast and loose with the regulations. Possibly even a single officer or trooper with more money than brains! Do keep us posted on what you find out. Peter

Is it the British 7th whatever? Hard to say from the size of the photo., but the crown looks a bit odd to me. French or Spanish perhaps?

Yes, please. Do let us in on the story, whatever it may be.

Patrick A question first: does the central boss on the plate, with the Staffs knot, look as if it is detachable and, if so, might it be a substitute? Secondly, I would be very very leery of trying to 'strip' the brass. I would strongly suspect that the brass is either solid brass or brass plate, not paint. In that case, you wouldn't be able to strip it off and may very well irreparably damage what I suspect is a very expensive helmet. Instead, I'd pursue how/why this helmet has brass and not white metal fittings. Perhaps the Staffs regmt'l museum can help in that regard. I also suspect that our resident experts on headgear - published experts in the field - may have some useful insights when they see your post. Peter

Mervyn Interesting that the men look black to you. To me/on my screen they looked white, which is why I wondered about white prisoners in a SA prison. Maybe one of us needs new specs! Peter

Indeed! Good for you, Frank!

"Thanks for that, interesting, a narrative photo album, I will have to see if I can download the book listed at the back "Dogs for a Hot Climate" I bet that's a right rivetting read." Sure! Right up there with: New Manual of Homeopathic Veterinary Medicine. An Easy and Comprehensive Arrangement of Diseases, Adapted to the Use of Every Owner Domestic Animals, and Especially Designed for the Farmer Living Out of the Reach of Medical Advice, and Showing him the Way of Treating his Sick Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Swine, and Dogs. Boericke & Tafel, New York, 1880. 322pp + 16 pages advertisements. ;)

My ignorance of the prison services is exceeded only by my incompetence as a typist!

Here is a little info., gleaned from a quick sweep through Wikipedia, which for all its faults is very useful for this sort of thing. The British force was led by HMS Halcyon, the flagship of the small flotilla, according to this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_Yarmouth HMS Halcyon was a Dryad-class torpedo gunboat - in 1913, was converted to a minesweeper and served under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves. She was sold for breaking in 1919 In August 1914 she became the ship of the Senior Naval Officer North Sea Fisheries, serving under the orders of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves HMS Lively was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer launched in 1900, acquired by the navy in 1901 and sold in 1920. HMS Leopard was an Avon-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was among the vessels reclassified as C-class destroyers in 1913 HMS Success was a B-class torpedo boat destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1901. On 27 December 1914 she was wrecked off Fifeness during heavy gales HMS D3 was a British D class submarine - commissioned 30 August 1911. HMS D5 was a British D class submarine - commissioned on 19 February 1911. HMS E10 was a British E class submarine - commissioned 10 March 1914. E10 was lost in the North Sea on 18 January 1915. I haven't been able to identify the Captain of the Halcyon, but I hope this is of some help. A word of caution as well, though you may well know it already: apparently there was a fishing trawler on hire to the RN at the same period of time, called "Halcyon II". Peter

Oh, aint' that posh! Maybe the chain is to hang it from one's button between meals. Seriously though, I suspect Mervyn is right: a one off using a brooch which already had the chain attached. Nice looking trinket!

The Royal Field Artillery, which existed as a separate element within the RA from 1899 to 1927, manned the 'medium' artillery, which in 1914-8 included howitzers, heavy mortars and guns up to at least the 18 pounders. In fact, the 18 lber was the backbone of the RFA in the Great war, being replaced after the War by the 25 pounder, which was used through WWII. The RFA was organized in Brigades, which generally, I believe, contained artillery of a common calibre. For example, the 6th Brigade was designated "6th (Howitzer) Brigade, as were the 12th and 18th Brigades. Here is a useful site: http://www.1914-1918.net/cra.htm

Very classy, with the stag horn, but I'll bet the owner still got a lot of ribbing whenever he pulled it out! My [much smaller and plainer] Victorinx often gets that reaction until, for example, I get the mini-tweezers out to remove a splinter or open food tins in the absence of anyone else having brought a tin opener. "They laughed when I sat down to play!"

I did wonder whether all the convicts in the photo were white and whether that meant that there were separate prisons for White, Black and [presumably] Coloured in old South Africa. Dartmouth makes a little more sense. "Above the Granite Arched entrance you can just make out the inscription which reads in Latin "Parcere Subjectis" translated "Suffer The Vanquished". Nasty! No fear of the convicts being 'spoiled' by soft conditions and too many privileges, as many people seem to think is the problem with prisons today. Peter

Hutchie Welcome to the GMIC! And Happy New Year. We're a friendly lot and seem to count among our number at least one expert on d**n near any topic you'd care to name. At least, to the best of my recollection I can't recall many occasions when the whole club has come up dry and some members have a fantastic depth and breadth of knowledge in their specialty areas. Am I right in assuming that '19 Port Workshop [Company?] were a Royal Engineers or Ordnance Corps unit? I'm also guessing from your reference to war diaries that your interest is First War. At least here in Canada, war diaries for 1914-18 are available but nothing for WWII due to confidentiality rules, and I think the same applies in the UK. |The more detail you can give us on exactly what you're looking for, the more likely it is that someone here can help. Again, welcome! Peter

Einbauschrank Sadly, even First World countries use a certain amount of that kind of training these days. I know that Canadian Army artillery units get a specified [small] number of rounds with which to do their annual live fire exercises. A few years ago one of our pilots won the coveted 'Top Gun' award in a US air to air combat contest, despite having been limited to TWO missiles for practice that year. Of course, at $400,000 EACH, one can almost sympathize with the 'penny-pinchers' at GHQ. And, as for 'stupid soldier(s), I don't disagree, but think about the type of guys - Chris B. excepted of course - who often join the infantry. Big bangs, really cool uniforms and a chance to shoot at real people. Who wouldn't want a few skulls to complete the outfit?

I agree with Megan: quite a nice looking piece, unlike some of the cheesy looking 'bling' that's being turned out these days, even by firms and nations who should know better! Peter

Nothing to contribute bar a question. Is that [rather odd] manner of wearing decorations usual? Enquiring minds [me and myself ] wish to know. Peter

Harry Thanks for the link. Another book I'll download and probably never read! So many books, so little time. Peter

This is a new one to me as well, though I knew that the Labour Corps threw a very wide net: Indians, Chinese, Maltese and more served in France, so the use of 'enemy aliens' isn't too large a leap. Here in Canada there was an issue, especially in the Maritime provinces, over blacks wanting to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Many had come to Canada in 1780, as either free blacks or slaves of Loyalists leaving the new formed United States and given land grants in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I know of two black brothers from just outside Toronto who joined a regular CEF battalion and there were the odd Chinese, Japanese and even ten Sikhs accepted into CEF battalions, especially late in the war. The black brothers played - pitcher and captain, I believe - on a local baseball team, so were known to be 'ok'. In Nova Scotia, however, there were enough blacks that it was considered a 'problem' and the solution was to put them into all black Labour or Forestry units, where they did sterling service!

Thank you all for your suggestions. Sounds like cleaning and a light wax coat is the way to go.

R.I.P. indeed. doing a job that needed doing. But I suppose that's the epitaph for many a soldier. There's a short poem, by Kipling maybe, called "Mercenary", written 1914-15 which ends 'and saved the [world/nation] for pay'. There are worse professions than mercenary!