Bengal Fusiliers 104

[rusticalex]

From wikipedia - "The 104th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Fusiliers) was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1862 to 1881, when it was amalgamated into The Royal Munster Fusiliers.

The regiment was originally formed by the Honourable East India Company in 1854 as the 2nd Bengal (European) Light Infantry, and served in the Indian Mutiny of 1857. As with all other "European" units of the Company, they were placed under the command of the Crown in 1858, and formally moved into the British Army in 1862, ranked as the 104th Foot.

As part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, the regiment was amalgamated with the 101st Regiment of Foot (Royal Bengal Fusiliers) to form The Royal Munster Fusiliers."

I'm not sure which part of the uniform this would have been worn on, but I really like this piece. Unfortunately one of the 'pins' that holds the centre piece in place has broken off, so the centre piece is loose - should I try to fix it, or ask someone with militaria expertise to do so? What value might this item have?

Thank you.

[rusticalex]

and from the back...

[leigh kitchen]

I'd leave alone rather than repair - nice badge, an officers one.

[Graham Stewart]

Probably worn with the last pattern "Albert" shako.

[Graham Stewart]

The "Albert" shako as mentioned in my last post, illustrated being worn by an officer of the 5th Fusiliers.

[Stuart Bates]

I don't believe that Fusiliers wore the last pattern shako as in the 1864 Dress regulations they are defined as having a lambskin cap with grenade to the front and a white horse hair plume (red over white for the 5th). I can only assume that this plume was affixed to the front of the cap - I have never seen one.

In 1866 they adopted their own distinctive sealskin cap with grenade to the front and plume to the side. Sealskin was like a smooth "Bearskin" rather than a "fluffy" Bearskin.

In 1871 the Racoonskin cap was taken into service for officers but I don't know about the other ranks. This is confirmed by the 1874 Dress Regulations.

It was replaced by a Bearskin cap at a later date, sometime between the 1894 DRs and the 1900 DRs..

Stuart

Edited December 22, 2009 by Stuart Bates