George Rayner Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 This photo came in a collection of a local north Suffolk village with NO DETAILS! Is it WW1 period or close? Which Regiment might it be? Thank you. If the collective can identify those things it may be possible to track him down as photo is from Guernsey so a posting there perhaps. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) Suffolk Regiment pre-Boer war walking out dress. He wears the 1881-1902 full dress tunic with its jam pot cuffs, two-tower Gibraltar castle collar badges, and field service cap with regimental badge. At that time there were always two infantry battalions and a Depot on the Channel Islands. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 14 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2019 Thank you for the swift reply. The left arm shows crossed rifles(?). What do they signify please. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, George Rayner said: Thank you for the swift reply. The left arm shows crossed rifles(?). What do they signify please. George The badge with a star signifies that he is a champion shot (best in company probably, but I’ll need to check). Their were several grades and collectively they were known as shooting prize badges. He also has two good conduct badges (stripes) on the same arm signifying that he has 4 to 5 years of blemish free regular service. Intriguingly the Suffolk’s (2nd Battalion) were only based on the Channel Islands once, between 1880-1882, which is too early for this photo. The fact that he had his photo taken there suggests he is on leave and perhaps the son of someone who settled there on retirement from the same regiment, but that is pure conjecture on my part. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said: Suffolk Regiment pre-Boer war walking out dress. At that time there were always two infantry battalions and a Depot on the Channel Islands. I always assumed the Depot was at Bury St Edmunds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Steven Broomfield said: I always assumed the Depot was at Bury St Edmunds. Yes, Bury St Edmunds became a Brigade Depot (supporting two single battalion regiments) in 1873 under Cardwell, and then the 12th Regimental District Depot in July 1881 under Childers. The Channel Islands were seen as vulnerable to France in the early through to mid part of Victoria’s reign and so two battalions and a supporting (logistical) Depot was based on Jersey (and Guernsey). There were also two, full strength Militia regiments there, as well as some engineers and artillery. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 14 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2019 Thank you both very much. that makes for an interesting bit of research to come. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) 45 minutes ago, George Rayner said: Thank you both very much. that makes for an interesting bit of research to come. George Glad to help. There was a relatively large population of ex-soldiers among the islanders, as it was a bucolic and prosperous place to settle after a military career. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 49 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said: Yes, Bury St Edmunds became a Brigade Depot (supporting two single battalion regiments) in 1873 under Cardwell, and then the 12th Regimental District Depot in July 1881 under Childers. The Channel Islands were seen as vulnerable to France in the early through to mid part of Victoria’s reign and so two battalions and a supporting (logistical) Depot was based on Jersey (and Guernsey). There were also two, full strength Militia regiments there, as well as some engineers and artillery. That clears it up: the Suffolk depot was at Bury, but there was a Depot on the Ch Isles, lus two infantry battalions. I got confused and misread your post as implying the Suffolk depot was on the Ch Isles. My mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) On 14/02/2019 at 11:15, Steven Broomfield said: That clears it up: the Suffolk depot was at Bury, but there was a Depot on the Ch Isles, lus two infantry battalions. I got confused and misread your post as implying the Suffolk depot was on the Ch Isles. My mistake. No problem, in 1914 the 1st Battalion Devon’s were on Jersey and the 2nd Battalion PAOWO Yorkshire Regt were on Guernsey. Edited 6 August , 2020 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 14 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2019 Just to add... on trying to identify soldier the 3rd Battalion were at St. Peter Port for the 1901 Census so tentatively he is Oliver Fulcher b 1884...but could be Robert Cook b 1877. Depends of course on photo having been returned to soldier's home village!! George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, George Rayner said: Just to add... on trying to identify soldier the 3rd Battalion were at St. Peter Port for the 1901 Census so tentatively he is Oliver Fulcher b 1884...but could be Robert Cook b 1877. Depends of course on photo having been returned to soldier's home village!! George That makes complete sense George. Many of the Militia battalions were ‘embodied’ during the 2nd Boer War to relieve certain regular battalions from garrison duty so that they could be sent to the seat of the war. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 14 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 February , 2019 Understanding that then... 3rd Battalion Suffolk Regiment became embodied-i.e. full regulars(?)-to enable another regiment to go to SA? I think, but will have to check, that Suffolk Regiment was in SA anyway so relieving a 'senior' battalion of Suffolks? George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 14 February , 2019 Share Posted 14 February , 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, George Rayner said: Understanding that then... 3rd Battalion Suffolk Regiment became embodied-i.e. full regulars(?)-to enable another regiment to go to SA? I think, but will have to check, that Suffolk Regiment was in SA anyway so relieving a 'senior' battalion of Suffolks? George 3rd Battalion embodiment was in effect a mobilisation for a set period and for a specific task, in this case to relieve a particular regular army battalion based on the Channel Islands. Ordinarily one regular battalion was on Jersey and the other on Guernsey. I’ve not yet been able to track down which two regular army battalions formed the garrison of the Channel Islands in 1899. The 3rd Suffolk’s presumably relieved the one on Guernsey. Edited 14 February , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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