stephen p nunn Posted 3 May , 2018 Share Posted 3 May , 2018 I have long wanted to get hold of a swagger stick. Today I picked one up at our local second-hand market. It is Dorsetshire Regiment. It doesn't appear to be hallmarked and is on a bamboo cane. Is it WW1 do you think? Here it is: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 3 May , 2018 Share Posted 3 May , 2018 The 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment we’re deployed to Egypt late in WW1. Shame there is no hallmark to date its manufacture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen p nunn Posted 3 May , 2018 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2018 2 minutes ago, Lawryleslie said: The 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment we’re deployed to Egypt late in WW1. Shame there is no hallmark to date its manufacture. Oh fantastic - thank you very much. Best wishes. Stephen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 The 1st Bn went to France in August 1914 but I suspect that a man in any of their 11 WW1 battalions could have used it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimberley John Lindsay Posted 4 May , 2018 Share Posted 4 May , 2018 Dear Stephen, Good find! I share your glee with the possible Egypt connection. Recently I convinced a fellow IARO collector of the fact that his swagger-stick would look better alongside my father's (a 2AIF officer, MC, Despatches), than in his Den (not to mention the accompanying medals), and the deal went my way (Never Give Up!). Despite having the all-important name and Regt., my fellow-collector friend had failed to follow all this up. I did (admittedly it was not an easy task). The rest is history, as they say. Kindest regards, Kim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 5 May , 2018 Share Posted 5 May , 2018 On 04/05/2018 at 10:06, PhilB said: The 1st Bn went to France in August 1914 but I suspect that a man in any of their 11 WW1 battalions could have used it? Don’t understand your logic? Are you saying that any man, probably an officer, in any of the Dorsetshire Battalions could have served with the 2nd Battalion in Egypt? By the way I think you’ll find that Dorsetshire Regiment eventually had 9, not 11, battalions and one company serving with the 2nd Hampshire Regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 5 May , 2018 Share Posted 5 May , 2018 I think it`s an OR`s stick, not an officer`s. If you know it went to Egypt, then probably 2nd Bn, otherwise, any Bn. How do you know it went to Egypt? Dorsets had 1,2,3 (Res), 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 5,6, 7 (res), 8 (HS) and 1(Garrison Bn). I make that 11, not counting the 9th Bn that only existed for 17 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 6 May , 2018 Share Posted 6 May , 2018 16 hours ago, PhilB said: I think it`s an OR`s stick, not an officer`s. If you know it went to Egypt, then probably 2nd Bn, otherwise, any Bn. How do you know it went to Egypt? Dorsets had 1,2,3 (Res), 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 5,6, 7 (res), 8 (HS) and 1(Garrison Bn). I make that 11, not counting the 9th Bn that only existed for 17 days. I think we are at odds here.....I am referring to Battalions during WW1. According to the Dorsetshire Regiment Museum the Regiment had 2 Battalions and 1 Reserve Battalion at the beginning of WW1 that expanded to 9 Battalions during the war with 1 company attached to the 2nd Hampshires. Regarding the swagger stick, I made the natural assumption that it had belonged to a soldier serving in Egypt in order to help the OP in understanding if it was from WW1. Of course there is no certainty of this, just an educated guess I’m afraid. Be interested as to why you think it’s an OR's stick and not an officer's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 6 May , 2018 Share Posted 6 May , 2018 If it were mine, I'd attribute it to Great War era, other ranks.....an officer would probably have had a silver ferrule with a more expensive wood, as for actual battalion, that's anybody's guess unless the stick comes with provenance. From what I understand, by WW2, the carrying of swagger sticks had ceased in most cases. Nice stick. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 6 May , 2018 Share Posted 6 May , 2018 (edited) I`m referring to Bns in WW1 as well - according to Brig E A James` book British Regiments 1914-18. Which of the Bns he lists do the Museum not recognize? One can rarely be certain about these things but, like Dave and for the same reasons, I think it just looks more like an OR`s stick. Were you influenced by the EGYPT on the cap badge to think it had been to Egypt? It`s still a nice stick! Edited 6 May , 2018 by PhilB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovetown Posted 6 May , 2018 Share Posted 6 May , 2018 IIRC, the Dorsets cap badge featured 'Egypt' below the Sphinx until 1881, when it was replaced by 'Marabout'. Cheers, GT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 6 May , 2018 Share Posted 6 May , 2018 More detail about the cap badge here... https://www.keepmilitarymuseum.org/info/the+dorsetshire+regiment+cap+badge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 On 06/05/2018 at 11:12, PhilB said: I`m referring to Bns in WW1 as well - according to Brig E A James` book British Regiments 1914-18. Which of the Bns he lists do the Museum not recognize? One can rarely be certain about these things but, like Dave and for the same reasons, I think it just looks more like an OR`s stick. Were you influenced by the EGYPT on the cap badge to think it had been to Egypt? It`s still a nice stick! Yes I was influenced by the EGYPT on the cap badge which may have misled me. The Museum of The Dorset Regiment lists: 1st Battallion 2nd Battalion 3rd Special Reserve Battalion 1/4th Battalion 2/4th Battalion 3/4th Battalion 5th Battalion 6th Battalion 7th Battalion Plus Y Company of a Composite Battalion made up of companies Somerset LI, 2nd Hamshire, Wiltshire and Dorsetshire Regiments. I would be interested in your comments Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 8th Bn (Home Service) and 1st (Home Service) Garrison Bn. I`m working on the assumption that a man in any battalion, at home or abroad, could carry such a stick though unlikely to take one to a war zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawryleslie Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 1 hour ago, PhilB said: 8th Bn (Home Service) and 1st (Home Service) Garrison Bn. I`m working on the assumption that a man in any battalion, at home or abroad, could carry such a stick though unlikely to take one to a war zone. Thanks for this Phil. Assuming your book is correct you’d have thought their own Museum would be up to speed with their WW1 Battalion strength. Strange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 Nothing`s certain but Brig James would normally be believed before the average museum curator! I`d be interested in evidence to the contrary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 Long long trail has similar here...http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/dorsetshire-regiment/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 I suspect that the LLT used Brig James as their reference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave66 Posted 8 May , 2018 Share Posted 8 May , 2018 (edited) 51 minutes ago, PhilB said: I suspect that the LLT used Brig James as their reference! Yes, many of these publications and unit histories are excellent starting points....I always try to pick up period originals as and when they pop up, even better if first editions! Dave. Edited 8 May , 2018 by Dave66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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