The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers - (***MODERATORS' CHOICE)

[Graham Stewart]

The silver shoulder board & gold wire Major's rank insignia. What appears to be missing is the special silver screw button with it's holder, but to be honest just to have one of these jackets is a collectors blessing.

Sadly the padded interior has been ripped out and I suspect it's because the previous owner may have become slighly portly in later years. Todate I've been unable to identify the owner.

[Graham Stewart]

A scarlet officers patrol jacket belonging to Q.M. & Hon. Captain J. O'Neill, 2nd Volunteer Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers, who was promoted to that rank on the 7th November 1907. The jacket itself also bears the date in the tailors label of 3rd December 1907.

This is probably one of my oldest and possibly the rarest uniform item in my collection and I'm very pleased to have it.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

One of the unusual features of this jacket are the collar badges. O'Neill came from the ranks and as such held onto his one piece white metal collar badges, which have been silver plated, but are not the standard pattern for officers of NF,VB's, which were in two pieces - the strap & St.George being a seperate item.

The badges themselves do appear to be in the wrong position also. However as they are sewn into the interior of the collar then they are no doubt genuine.

[Graham Stewart]

The silver and gilt rank badges of a Captain, as you would expect to find.

[Graham Stewart]

A Lieutenant Colonels BD blouse dated 1949. The blouse actually belonged to Lt Col Phillipson and so work needs to be done to trace his service career. However I'm of the conclusion that he did actually serve with 43rd Royal Tank Regt during WWII. This had formerly been the 6th Bn, RNF before conversion to Tanks in 1938 and converted back to the infantry role as the 6th Bn, RNF IN 1956.

[Graham Stewart]

Being an ex-tanky Phillipson was entitled to wear the Tank badge as seen here, beneath the double "T" of 50th(Northumbrian)Division. Also noticable is the fact that he's removed his cloth RNF titles and replaced them with officers silver & gilt ones, but his rank badges are of bronze.

[Graham Stewart]

The interior of the BD blouse. The owners name is on the waist band portion, but hasn't come up in the photo.

[Graham Stewart]

Another one of my favourites. A privately produced smooth BD blouse(plus I have the trousers) belonging to Major J.M.S. Coates, O.B.E., 5th(Gosforth)Bn, Northumberland Home Guard. Coates became a Major in the Bn on the 21st November 1941 and as can be seen he was previously a WWI veteran, with a MID.

[Graham Stewart]

[Graham Stewart]

Other ranks No.1 Dress(blue's), belonging to a Sgt of the 6th Bn, RNF.

[Graham Stewart]

All the buttons are anodised, but the collars are bi-metal and the piping on the shoulder strap gosling green.

[Graham Stewart]

I've added a close up of the collars, because thet are unusual themselves. Originally the owner had also served with either 43rd or 45th Royal Tank Regt and the jacket collar at one time held the single bladed RTR collar badges. On conversion back to the infantry role someone had the bright idea of reworking the rear of the RNF collar badges and attached a single blade to the back of the bomb, which allows the badges to fit perfectly.

I also have a feeling that the jacket collar has been removed from an older possibly 37 pattern jacket and retailored into this later pattern jacket as seen in the slight colour difference and tailors stitching.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

When originally purchased only the Sgt stripes, medal ribbons and buttons remained. However it was noticable that there had one time been Para wiings and a tanky arm badge attached. Seeing it only had holes for single bladed collars, I knew that the former owner had at sometime served with either 43rd or 45th RTR.

The collar badges were the first to be replaced, although it was a while before I had a pair of these unique collars. The tanky arm badge and para wings were replaced as well and so it'sback to it's former glory, although sadly slightly mothed.

[tynesideirish]

This is great Graham. I've a soft spot for fellow Para-Fusiliers!

[Graham Stewart]

This is great Graham. I've a soft spot for fellow Para-Fusiliers!

Thanks TI - it's always nice to hear from guys who appreciate what other collectors have in their collections. This last jacket has always been a curiosity to me and raking around in the inside jacket pocket(on an Isaac Walton name tag) I found that the owner was 13544 M.RODHAM and dated 24/11/1953. The collar also has a cloth tag inside for hanging the jacket on a peg, which says "Isaac Walton & Co. Ltd - London, York, Newcastle". As you'll appreciate this is well out of the ordinary and so I still wonder if the owner had some alterations carried out?

On top of which you have both the para wings and tanky badge. The medal ribbons being the Defence & 39/45 War, with a GSM? My feeling is that the para wings and GSM were awarded post 1945 as a regular Para, but the other two may have been for Home Service only, which may suggest a young soldier of 18yrs(or under) serving with either the T.A. or Home Guard. Once he'd done his three as a regular he would of course be free to re-enlist in the T.A. and so went back to 43rd RTR, which converted back to 6th Bn, RNF.

Anyway it's still a nice item to have.

[Graham Stewart]

My 1909 pattern jacket to the 4th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers. This battalion continued with their Rifle Volunteer traditions post 1881 as the 1st V.B., NF and on the formation of the Territorial Force in April 1908 the battalion was split into the 4th & 7th Bn's. The 4th Bn continued to wear their traditional Rifle Grey, with scarlet facings which they continued to wear until around 1910, when they too adopted scarlet.

No collar badges have been worn with this tunic and the shoulder titles would have been blackened brass "T4/Bomb/NF", as opposed to the scarlet embroided "1V/Bomb/NF" pre-1908. The buttons on this jacket were the commom blackened brass Rifle Volunteer pattern, but Kings Crown over the stringed bugle rather than a QVC.

The original buttons remain on the skirt, but the buttons down the front of the jacket are those of the Kings Royal Rifles, which suggests that the jackets may have been returned to storage and re-used by another unit continuing to wear the Rifle Grey, who were affiliated to the KRR.

[Graham Stewart]

The rear of the jacket doesn't have scalloped skirt piping, with six buttons, but two straight scarlet piped lines at the top of which are the sole remaining R.V. buttons.

[Graham Stewart]

The round end shoulders strap complete with scarlet piping and the original shoulder title holes, the likes of which remain elusive.

[Graham Stewart]

By 1910 the scarlet jacket, with gosling green facings was being introduced into the 4th Bn, NF(TF) of which this is one. Collar badges were worn in white metal and since this photo was taken the badge seen here has been paired up.

Being a T.F. battalion the buttons were of white metal too and so would the shoulder titles, but I believe by 1914 gilding metal titles had been introduced for wear by the T.F.

Note - The former wearer of this jacket wore three "efficiency" stars indicating he had been returned efficient, no less than 12 times(1star = 4 returns), but the ruling stated that it need not be consecutive returns. Had the individual worn this jacket from 1910-14 and had been returned efficient four consecutive times, then the two previous stars could have been awarded some 8years earlier. This would make the wearer and old volunteer, who possibly enlisted around 1901/02.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

The rear of the jacket has a skirt of the same pattern as those worn by regulars, although the buttons are the white metal General Service pattern.

[Graham Stewart]

Again the shoulder strap would be the same as those worn by regulars, except that regular units were still wearing embroided titles. The T.F. appear to have gotten their jackets with plain shoulder straps allowing metal 'T' titles to be worn.

[Graham Stewart]

A mess dress jacket named to Major W.W. Ayton and dated 8th August 1939. W.W. Ayton was educated at Durham School and a member of the School's Cricket Team. On leaving school he joined the T.A. and was commissioned into the 6th Bn, DLI, becoming a Lieut on 24th March 1937.

By 1940 he had opted to join the Regular Army and was commissioned into the RNF, as 2nd/Lt on 1st Jan 1940 and became a Lieut on 1st July 1941.

Haven't found anything else apart from the fact he was h.p. listed(?) with ill health on the 22nd Jan 1944 and retired 18th March 1958.

Edited September 7, 2011 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

Nice shot showing the silver and gilt buttons. These earlier pattern mess dress jackets were tailored with botton holes for the jacket to be closed.

[Graham Stewart]

The roll collar of the mess dress jacket showing the gold wire grenades and silver St.George & Dragon.

[Graham Stewart]

A close up of the collar badge.