Sussex Yeomanry Warrant Officer

[high wood]

I would like to know when WO's began to wear commissioned officers' uniform dress. Was it during or after the Great War? In short is this photograph Great War or later?

[Staffsyeoman]

I'm not the dates expert, but it's only Warrant Officers Class 1 who are permitted to wear officer standard dress (which he is, with Sam Browne belt) , so the single crown (as opposed to the later Royal Arms) may give dating clues.

[pmaasz]

I have absolutely no intention of being disrespectful, but doesn't he look a bit like Captain Darling (?) from Blackadder?

[Rob B]

Interesting a Warrant Officer with no medal ribbons, is he perhaps TA,?

Rob

[Graham Stewart]

Grumpy will sort this one out - personally I'll stick my neck out and say c.1915 or earlier. The title RSM and the new Royal Arms badge of rank appeared at this time, whereas prior it was simply 'Sgt Major' with the single crown as in this case.

However as always there's a catch as post-1918 it was decreed that WOII's could also wear better quality Service Dress and Sam Brownes, but this rescinded in the early 1920's.

[Muerrisch]

Do you know, I have often read about the officer quality dress for WO I and sometimes II, but never seen any authentic order to that effect. I have always thought that the matter was custom and practice regimentally ordained.

I too fancy 1915 or earlier, and the man as a WO I.

Yeomanry were, in effect, the cavalry arm of the TF, and a bit elitest.

His hat looks a little strange, I wonder if a hat expert [wwe are bound to have one] might vouchsafe a comment?

[high wood]

Thank you for your thoughts. I am pleased that he may be circa 1915. The only information that I have is that he served with the Sussex Yeomanry and that the photograph was taken in Eastbourne.

[Deerhunter]

Do we have a name for the man?

Rgds

DD

[squirrel]

His hat looks a little strange, I wonder if a hat expert [wwe are bound to have one] might vouchsafe a comment?

Might this be a cover of some kind on the SD cap?

[high wood]

Unfortunately, I don't have a name for the Sussex Yeomanry man.

I have trawled through my collection and found another unknown RSM in similar but not identical uniform. As he is wearing a ribbon for the 1914 or 1914/15 star the photograph musy have been taken around late 1917/early 1918 at the earliest.

[steenie]

I would like to know when WO's began to wear commissioned officers' uniform dress. Was it during or after the Great War? In short is this photograph Great War or later?

It is interesting to note that he is wearing an infantry sam browne. He is also carrying a cane instead of a crop.

[Grovetown]

His hat looks a little strange, I wonder if a hat expert [wwe are bound to have one] might vouchsafe a comment?

Looks like an Officer-type private purchase Gor Blimey to me. Similar shown below, although this has the neck flap folded under the crown; whereas his seems to go over the top (no pun intended) a la the ORs issue version.

Cheers,

GT.