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

[Graham Stewart]

Going back to Mikes earlier post and the items recently obtained by him regarding the 27th Northumberland Light Infantry Militia. Here we have a copy of their first history in paperback and published in 1877 and printed by Robert Robinson of Pilgrim Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Written by Senior Captain & Honorary Major William Adamson it covers the battalions history from 1853 - 1876. In 1914 it was reprinted in hardback by Andrew Reid & Co. Ltd, Printers & Publishers, Akenside Hill, Newcastle with additional material regarding the battalions history by Major & Hon. Lt.-Col. Robert Scott and retitled "The Services of the 27th Northumberland Light Infantry Militia now the 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers".

[Graham Stewart]

During the South African War the 3rd(Militia)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers was embodied for service and also re-designated as the 5th(Militia)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers. This was due to the fact that the regiment was expanded by a further two regular battalions, which were subsequently titled the 3rd & 4th Bn's, Northumberland Fusiliers.

Shortly after embodiement the battalion was shipped to Malta as a relieving "Garrison Battalion", until disembodied in 1901. All members of the battalion who were embodied and serving in Malta went onto receive the Mediteranean Medal.

This small & rare account of it's service was edited by Major & Adjutant G.F.T.Leather and printed by G.W.Grigg & Son Printers, Dover in 1902.

[Graham Stewart]

The 5th(Militia)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers parading in Malta St.Georges Day 23rd April 1900.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

Lt-Col Robert Scott c.1910 who amended Adamson's history as mentioned earlier. He also became Lt-Col of the 7th Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers(T.F.) on the 2nd August 1908.

[Graham Stewart]

Another pamphlet which on initial viewing appears to have nothing to do with the Northumberland Fusiliers, is this one "Standing Orders of the 86th Training Reserve Battalion". The link with the Northumberland Fusiliers is that on the formation of the Training Reserve, the 31st(Reserve)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers (formerly the Depot Companies of the 16th(Service)Bn), was transferred to this new "Corps" on 1st September and redesignated the 86th Training Reserve Bn.

The role of the battalion was to act as a training & draft finding unit and it also re-trained many former members of the 16th Bn who had recovered from wounds/sickness and who required a course of recuperation and physical training to bring them back up to physical standard.

By the time this booklet was published in March 1918 the training was more geared towards the handling of newer recruits called up under Military Services Act of 1916 i.e. conscripts, although former frontline soldiers, many of them Northumberlands, would still continue to pass through the battalion on recuperation.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

The interior front face of the booklet.

[Graham Stewart]

A group of the 86th T.R.B., taken outside of a YMCA Hut. The cap badges are actually cloth with the numeral "86" thereon.

[Graham Stewart]

Member of the 85th T.R.B. with a clearer picture of the cloth cap badge and numeral "85".

[tynesideirish]

I acquired a large James Bacon & Sons Studio, Newcastle Upon Tyne photo album with 4 Giant Photos of a wedding party, in 2 of them the Brother of the Bride is an NF Officer, Pre or just WW1. No other info.

[tynesideirish]

Here's the uncropped pic. Wish I knew who he was!

[tynesideirish]

The other Pic of the Major, cropped again.

[tynesideirish]

I must enter a post, apparently.

[Graham Stewart]

Going off his dress i.e. SD with the boots and spurs, and a quick look at his cuff rank he looks to be a Major, dressed for mounted duties. There are no small 'T's on the collar either, so we could be looking at a regular NF officer from the 5/68th Depot.

Edited January 8, 2010 by Graham Stewart

[Graham Stewart]

Here we have the cover of what I would rate as possibly the rarest of the regimental journals and this is the "3rd V.B., N.F. Magazine" which was first published in March 1905, with Volume I running through to May 1906. At which things seem to get a bit sketchy as to it's publication dates.

The publication run goes March(Vol; 1 No.1); April(Vol 1 No.2); May(Vol 1 No.3); June(Vol 1 No.4); July(Vol 1 No.5); August(Vol 1 No.6); September(Vol 1 No.7); October(Vol 1 No.8); November(Vol 1 No.9); December(Vol 1 No.10}; February(Vol 1 No.11); May(Vol 1 No.12). The month of January 1906 was for some strange reason omitted, as February should have been No.12.

Volume II would have naturally ran from March 1906 through to February 1907, but both it and April 1906 are omitted. As I don't have Volume II, I can't say when it began, but Volume III No.1 begins in November 1907 through to April 1909, while having become the "6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers Magazine" in May 1908. Confused - well so am I as Volume IV No.1 begins May 1909 and then ends in June 1910 at No.8 in the bound volume I have????

Ah well it's still a great little journal

Edited January 10, 2010 by Graham Stewart

[david grumpy]

Trumpeters of the Northumberland Fusiliers, a TF unit?

Note one man has his trumpet banner affixed the wrong way round.

Cue Graham.......

Ahem! Ahem! Whatwhatwhat!

Why ROYAL?

And please, there are/were no trumpeters in the infantry ....... I accept that they are puffing a form of trumpet, but they are either Drummers [which I suspect is the case, see the green [non-Royal] dress cords], or Bandsmen.

[Graham Stewart]

Hi David - I think we just used the term "trumpeters" as a general description as we still haven't discovered exactly what their role is. I noted the buglers cords, but they aren't wearing drummers uniforms either, which one would have expected, as all of the battalion bands regular and TF/TA comply with dress regs for bands. Looking at the trumpets(which appear to have keys too) and trumpet banners which are adorned by the City arms of Newcastle-on-Tyne, they appear to be acting in a civic role on behalf of the City, so they may well be unofficially titled "Lord Mayors trumpeters" or "Civic trumpeters". They may have also shared the role with other units which were based around the city i.e. Northumberland Hussars. As it stands though it's the first time I've seen them using this type of instrument, but still don't why or what the occassion was.

[david grumpy]

Hi David - I think we just used the term "trumpeters" as a general description as we still haven't discovered exactly what their role is. I noted the buglers cords, but they aren't wearing drummers uniforms either, which one would have expected, as all of the battalion bands regular and TF/TA comply with dress regs for bands. Looking at the trumpets(which appear to have keys too) and trumpet banners which are adorned by the City arms of Newcastle-on-Tyne, they appear to be acting in a civic role on behalf of the City, so they may well be unofficially titled "Lord Mayors trumpeters" or "Civic trumpeters". They may have also shared the role with other units which were based around the city i.e. Northumberland Hussars. As it stands though it's the first time I've seen them using this type of instrument, but still don't why or what the occassion was.

The more I look, the stranger it looks! The tunics [i suppose they are the 7 button tunic, not a trimmed 7 button frock?] are difficult to date, no facings visible. I still think the cords mean Drummer' but you may well be right about a non-regimental role on the day.

I dare not argue with you about NF !

[Graham Stewart]

Your observations have prompted to do a bit of hunting and I remembered I have a framed "Battalion Order No.6" in the loft from the C.O. of the 6th Bn, NF congratulating the Battalion on their turnout and stature during the recent Royal visit in October 1928. Going off that, I had a trawl through my St.George Gazettes for October 1928 and sure enough on the 10th October 1928 the City of Newcastle did have a Royal visit for a rather special occassion. The occassion was the opening of Tyne Bridge and both the 5/68th Depot and the 6th Bn, NF provided guard etc for the visit and civic dignataries of both Newcastle and Gateshead. Considering the anomalies in the type of instrument, the trumpet banners and uniform I have reason to believe that this was possibly taken during this occassion.

Both the Depot element and the 6th Bn as a whole paraded in SD with Colours flying. Sadly there is no photo of the 6th Bn band, but I suspect scarlet would be the dress of the day for them.

[leigh kitchen]

Ahem! Ahem! Whatwhatwhat!

Why ROYAL?

And please, there are/were no trumpeters in the infantry ....... I accept that they are puffing a form of trumpet, but they are either Drummers [which I suspect is the case, see the green [non-Royal] dress cords], or Bandsmen.

"Trumpeters" used as that's what they're doing, no Drummer's distinctions, possibly Bandsmen, possibly just men who can play the instrument, the green line infantry cords worn for a bit of swank? I'm inclined to think Bandsmen, but who knows?

"Royal"?

Interesting info Graham - there would have been coverage in local papers? If there was, then Id've thought that the most colourful subjects would featured in photos - colour parties, Drummers, these "Trumpeters", Bands, along with local officers etc.....

[leigh kitchen]

Private, 5th regiment of Foot, 1855.

From a Charles C Stadden print of about 1968 - 1972 - "The Fusiliers", which shows a central figure of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers with a figure representing each of its four component regiments.

Also shown is the post circa 1935 Royal Northumberland Fusilers cap badge.

[Graham Stewart]

Another lovely Christmas/New Year card for 1915/16 from 'Ed', who was obviously serving with the 19th(Service)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers(2nd Tyneside Pioneers).

[leigh kitchen]

Rather nice, I have'nt picked up any chrstmas cards for qute a while.

[Graham Stewart]

Not had a lot of NF lately, but did manage to acquire this one - a lovely shot of an inspection of the 5th(?)Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers(TF) Band taken between 1909 and 1913. What was of interest to me was not only the superb colth badge arrangement on the Drum Majors right arm, but a closer inspection of the band members reveiled that one member seems to have retained his pre-1908 Volunteer drummers jacket which is identified by the 'Austrian' knot. The remainder of the drummers appear to be wearing the new 1909 pattern drummers jacket for wear by TF members, which has no knot.

Nice to see the drummers leather aprons too as well as the leather holders on the belt for the 'fife' by other members of the band.

[Graham Stewart]

As you true collectors know there is always something you need for your collection that will evade you for what seems like an eternity and then one comes up for grabs. In my case this 48page booklet produced by the North Eastern Railways, York City was just one of those items, and it's taken nearly 30years to get hold of a copy.

Produced in 1915 it charted the formation of the 17th(Service)Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers(North Eastern Railways - Pioneers). It was produced in this format from a series of articles that originally appeared in the North Eastern Railways Magazine, shortly after the formation of the Battalion. What is unique about from the actual Battalion History, which was published in 1925, is that is contains some fifty photos of the Battalion in various stages of training and a complete list of all N.E.R. employees who were serving with the Battalion at that time, which included the Department they worked for and the Station they were employed at within the N.E.R. Company organization.

[Graham Stewart]

The provenance of the afore mentioned N.E.R. booklet was futher enhanced when I discovered this inside - a recruiting pamphlet. The pamphlet is unique as it refers to the enrollment of "A second Reserve Company of this fine Battalion".

The raising of these "second Reserve Company's" was under instruction from the Army Council in 1915 and they were to act as "Depot Company's" for the Battalion replacing those who were unfit to soldier on. Based on the four company organization of Battalions within the British Army at that time, usually lettered 'A' to 'D' Company's, these Reserve Company's were lettered 'E' & 'F'(Depot)Company's.

Prior to to 17th Bn moving overseas the Depot Companies were seperated from the Battalion and a new Battalion was formed which was known as the 32nd(Reserve)Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers(N.E.R.). The new Battalion continued to send drafts to the overseas battalion until the 1st September 1916, when it became part of the Training Reserve.