bierlijn Posted 28 August , 2009 Share Posted 28 August , 2009 Hi Forum, Here is a crop from a photo of one of my grandfather's brothers. In the photo he has an "Essex Volunteer Regiment" cap badge. I've attempted to show as best I can the shoulder patch as an easy way of identifying his unit. I think it's a one over a two over 'Essex'. If so, which battalion would this be? Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john gregory Posted 28 August , 2009 Share Posted 28 August , 2009 Hi Forum, Here is a crop from a photo of one of my grandfather's brothers. In the photo he has an "Essex Volunteer Regiment" cap badge. I've attempted to show as best I can the shoulder patch as an easy way of identifying his unit. I think it's a one over a two over 'Essex'. If so, which battalion would this be? Hugh I think it is V 2 ESSEX, if so it is the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, any chance of the full photo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 31 August , 2009 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2009 Great! Thanks for the reply. What would that unit be? Is it one of the battalions shown here? http://www.1914-1918.net/essex.htm This is George Shipman. He "Joined under Lord Derby's Scheme", and in this photo he is about 32 years old. That's all I know, so anything you could fill in would be gratefully received. "Yours to a Cindoo", Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 1 September , 2009 Share Posted 1 September , 2009 This was the WW1 version of the WW2 Home Guard. They were initially locally raised before being taken in to the remit of the WD. They were as their name suggests volunteers. Unlike the Territorial battalions they were not liable to overseas service. If your chap was 31 in 1917 and not conscripted into the Regular Army, then it would suggest that he was in a reserved occupation. Being in Essex this was more likely to be farming than industry (mining/engineering etc). the cap abdge is obscure but is not the standard Essex Regt badge which would support the VTc ID as they had a differnt design to the Regulars and the Territorials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 1 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2009 Thanks Max7474, The only info I have about occupation is from a press cutting about George's brothers, who are all in the services. It says "George (who works for Messrs. Wray & Fuller) has joined up under Lord Derby's Scheme." A scan using a popular search engine indicates that Wray & Fuller were a builders merchants and 'monumental masons' in Springfield Road, Chelmsford. Here's the cap badge. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7t2ndswinger Posted 3 September , 2009 Share Posted 3 September , 2009 The cap badge is Essex VTC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 3 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 3 September , 2009 Does anyone know exactly what the duties of a volunteer infantry battalion would have been? Given that there was no practical likelihood that Britain would be invaded in the course of WW1, what sort of thing might they have practiced? Did they replace the police force? Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 3 September , 2009 Share Posted 3 September , 2009 There may not in hindsight been a real threat of invasion but their was a perceived one so they trained to resist one. Unlike WW2 there was no parachutist scare so there was not the same key Point defence and patrols. They did not have any policing role. Lord Derby's scheme was not VTC orientated but a separate way of encouraging enlistment in the Regualrs without conscription. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 4 September , 2009 Share Posted 4 September , 2009 Thanks Max7474, The only info I have about occupation is from a press cutting about George's brothers, who are all in the services. It says "George (who works for Messrs. Wray & Fuller) has joined up under Lord Derby's Scheme." A scan using a popular search engine indicates that Wray & Fuller were a builders merchants and 'monumental masons' in Springfield Road, Chelmsford. Here's the cap badge. Hugh There was nothing to stop George volunteering to enlist under the Derby Scheme in 1915, which pre-dated conscription of 1916. Men were also encouraged to join their local VTC unit in order to get some basic form of military instruction before being called forward as Derby scheme members, but again this didn't begin until January 1916. However he may have been rejected for military service when his Group was called forward and either opted to either join or remain in the VTC(if he was already serving with them.). By the way the photo is a beauty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 4 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 4 September , 2009 Thanks very much for all this info. My grandfather's family came from Essex and in his photo album there are a couple of other Essex Regt. photographs. This isn't my particular field of interest, but as a thank you I'll post these photos now in the 'soldiers' section. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 4 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 4 September , 2009 I've just realised from the cap badges that this photo is also of the Essex Volunteers. Great Uncle George is bottom left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bierlijn Posted 4 September , 2009 Author Share Posted 4 September , 2009 I've just realised from the cap badges that this photo is also of the Essex Volunteers. Great Uncle George is bottom left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max7474 Posted 12 October , 2011 Share Posted 12 October , 2011 This is the badge in question. I do not collect VTC but it came with a number of other badges that I recently bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricknorman Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 Hello, I think that my g-uncle Harry Norman has an Essex Volunteers cap badge in this picture, but bit difficult to tell. Unfortunately can't find much in the way of records to verify that. Can anyone confirm the badge? thanks. patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 Patrick Your Great Uncle is wearing the standard Artillery cap badge worn by the Royal Field Artillery, Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery during the Great War. He is not wearing the Essex Volunteer Regiment badge. Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 Patrick I agree with RA badge, and think the photo is reversed, as the bandolier should be over the soldier's left shoulder. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricknorman Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 Sepoy, thank you I can see that now! That helps a lot. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricknorman Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 D - thanks. The photo was scanned from a negative, so yes could well be flipped round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patricknorman Posted 21 April , 2012 Share Posted 21 April , 2012 also was wondering is there an easy way to tell from this picture his rank? thank you. edited.. I found his medals records, a gunner in RFA. So wrong thread in the end! But glad i found him.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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