jf42

When the Gordon Highlanders and Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were set to amalgamate in 1994, both regiments identified the items of uniform most important to their traditions. The Gordons declared their Glengarry with its band of dicing (the Camerons wore a plain blue Glengarry) so that was retained, with the blue feather of the Camerons. The khaki ToS, while in form a more traditional item of Scottish headgear, was only working dress, while the 'diced' blue Glengarry was firmly in the tradition of Scottish military uniform. 92nd (Gordon) Highlanders, Edinburgh Castle, circa 1845

Indeed. The helmet plate badge shows the Prince of Wales' badge of the Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge [57th & 77th] awarded to the 77th in 1810 and the Dragon badge of The Queen's Own Buffs (Royal West Kents) [3rd, 50th & 97th], recognised as the "Ancient badge' of the 3rd Regiment (The Buffs) in 1747. Both regiments, together with the Queen's Royal Surrey Regiments and Royal Sussex Regiments were subsumed into the Queen's Regiment in 1966.

The previous post has been deleted. I was talking nonsense

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As Peter suggests, British & Commonwealth Badge Forum will soon sort you out. There are a lots of knowledgable folk some with particular interest in the Rifle regiments

wf- Hello again. I suggested driver because he appears dressed for mounted service and those who rode the draught horses for whatever horse drawn vehicle were, as far as I know, termed 'drivers' at this date.] Badges of rank. Chevrons indicating rank would be larger and on the upper arm. For other ranks, all marks of service were on the forearm but that is an area in which I am otherwise almost wholly ignorant, although I believe a star is for five years service as a Volunteer. '1 Sussex RE' , strongly suggests 1st Bn Sussex Regt, but for the fact that it was a Regular Battalion , the regimental title was 'Royal Sussex' and that the battalion had been abroad since 1896 and did not return till after the Great War. Perhaps there was a territorial Royal Engineers company affiliated to the county of Sussex, but that takes me far out of my comfort zone. If you would like to invite comments of those who know a great deal more about the Volunteers and Territorials of that time, try http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php where there are some very knowledgable and helpful folk. Failing that, there is also a Facebook page, if you want to go doen that route, with many connoisseurs of the uniforms of the period between the Boer War and the outbreak of war in 1914: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1885482761668080/?multi_permalinks=2138065349743152&notif_id=1530699564521045&notif_t=group_highlights The second man falls out of the scope of both those communities. The Grenadier Guards and the Royal Fusiliers were indeed around in 1940. For the reasons I stated, I think the Royal Fusiliers may be the better bet (assuming I am right in the first place, about the grenade badge) Good luck!

'Divl. Signal Co. RE' means that your first man was in a Divisional signalling company of the Royal Engineers. This was before the separate Royal Corps of Signals was formed in 1920 . The evidence of mounted service suggests he was either a driver of the company transport or perhaps involved in the more specialist role of line laying and checking. Less likely as that required fitness and agility and he doesn't look in the first flush of youth. I may be doing him an injustice but the stripes on his arm, (not my comfort zone) seem to indicate a certain length of service. The star records efficient service in the Volunteer Corps, after 1908 the Territorial Army Your second man seems to have a grenade emblem on his Field Service cap. If so, that suggests either the Grenadier Guards, or a fusilier regiment. I am not sure but I believe the Guards wore a khaki Service Dress cap (i.e.1914 style) rather than the khaki 'Cap F.S', when not in the field. If I am seeing right, the emblem does closely resemble the grenade badge of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). So that might be a possibilty.

Eco!

Could he be Italian? There's a certain effortless elegance about him- although the cap might not be quite right. It looks like he's a cavalryman.

As I said previously, the Cameronians no longer have a dedicated regimental museum operated in the way as, say, the Black Watch Museum is run. It is part of a wider municipal body, with limited display space, and with storage space that is not infinite either. The museum will have very limited footfall being somewhat off the beaten track The permanant staff will probably also have duties eleswhere. It is undoubtedly of niche interest and its battered state means it is less likely to be displayed. Perhaps the best you can do is record and describe the item clearly and send the museum a file for their archives. You might also let them know where it has gone to, if that is appropriate.

Tell us about the bearskin plumes again, Dad!

The Cameronians Musuem is not a dedicated regimental institution but part of a municipal set up organised in Lanarkshire under the umbrella of 'Leisure and culture.' How many of those dealing with its archives and exhibits have personal connection with, or specialist knowledge of the regiment, I couldn't say for sure but it is not likely to be many. A handful of volunteer enthusiasts at best, given that the regiment disbanded fifty years ago. A subject as niche as the identification of the bugler's cap may very well tax their resources. As you can see, you will have to look elsewhere for information on your man Jacobs. As a general enquiry, you may have some luck from the National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle. They are very helpful there, even though they won't have specialist knowledge of the Cameronians or be able to help you trace an individual. Also, bear in mind that it is August and everything will move slowly until after the holidays. Especially in Edinburgh. It's festival time! Good luck.

Grey C, try posting your photo here. http://www.victorianwars.com/index.php There you'll find a group with a concentrated body of knowledge and expertise relating to this period, including the authors of the uniformology site, who like nothing more than to investigate conundrums such as yours.

PS. I have been told by a member of the British and Commonwealth Badge Forum that in 'The History of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)' by John Baynes, there is a photograph of a Bugle Major wearing a Rifles cap/ 'busby'. We don't as yet know which battalion or have a date for that. I am intrigued.

Greetings. Your badge relates to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, an entirely different regiment, so, ah, best not. In relation to the battered busby, I stand to be corrected but I have never seen reference to a Rifles 'busby' worn by the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). When the regiment was formed from the union of the 26th Cameronians Regt and the 90th (Perthshire) Light Infantry in 1881, all Rifle regiments were ordered to wear a cloth covered Home Service Helmet in Full Dress. Circa 1890, after much lobbying, "the hideous black helmet" was done away with. The 2nd pattern Rifle 'busby' was introduced for the Rifle Brigade, KRRC and Irish Rifle regiments. A little later, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) adopted a Rifle green shako instead (based on the 'last model' shako worn by Line infantry up until 1878.) As I say, I stand to be corrected, but I have only ever seen pictures of their buglers wearing either the Full Dress shako unique to the regiment or the glengarry undress bonnet/ forage cap. One possibility to be considered relates to the fact that the marriage of the 26th and the 90th in 1881 was something of a 'shotgun' affair, with the 1st Bn (26th) and the 2nd Bn (90th) doggedly and defiantly maintaining their separate identities well into the C20, referring to themselves respectively as The Cameronians and the Scottish Rifles. The 2nd Battalion embraced their Rifles identity whole-heartedly, having been fitted out as a light infantry corps when raised in 1793. It may be that for a short period the 2nd Battalion (Scottish Rifles) put their buglers in Rifle caps, when these were introduced circa 1890, before the Regiment adopted the shako for all circa 1892. The 2nd Bn were in India until 1895.. I can't decide whether that makes this scenario more or less likely. The 1st Bn, meanwhile, were in England until 1894 I have to say, I am not very convinced myself.