Badge Identity required

[tootrock]

A friend of mine is going through some old family photo albums, which as usual do not have any details written on the back, and has come up with this chap.

He appears to be in military uniform, but does anyone know what unit he may belong to, from the cap badge?

Any ideas gratefully recieved.

Martin

Edited 6 August , 2019 by tootrock

[corisande]

It seems very difficult to get any reference to "ONC" . I would think that the V=Volunteers, but that is a guess

 

only one I could find was medical, but that got me nowhere

 

[CorporalPunishment]

He was a member of the Optimists National Corps, a unit of the Volunteer Training Corps in the Great War.   Pete.

[FROGSMILE]

50 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

He was a member of the Optimists National Corps, a unit of the Volunteer Training Corps in the Great War.   Pete.

 

Brilliant Pete, I’ve never heard of them.  What’s their story, do you know?

[CorporalPunishment]

20 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

Brilliant Pete, I’ve never heard of them.  What’s their story, do you know?

All I know about them is that they were a London unit that operated a motor section out of Victoria Station, presumably assisting with troop movements from station to station and such like. They formed the basis for the National Motor Volunteers raised in 1915.  Pete.

[jay dubaya]

Formed in the later part of August 1914 on the suggestion of Mr Charles Higham, their first drill hall was at The Rinkeries in Aldwych but this was soon taken over by the War Refugees Commitee,  the German Gymnasium at 26 Pancras Road, King's Cross was then made their drill Hall, rifle ranges were created in the hall and on Saturday afternoons the ONC could be seen at drill in the grounds of the Botanical Gardens, Regents Park. By November 1914 the corps numbered around 900 men with a transport section of over 50 owner driven cars which were offered for service to hospitals to take wounded soldiers for drives. There were also an ambulance, cycle, signal and engineer sections within the corps, the men being recognised by the military style uniform with a red arm brassard.

 

J

Edited 7 August , 2019 by jay dubaya

[FROGSMILE]

Thank you both, that’s very interesting.  How strange to have not seen anything about them in the GWF before.

[Dragoon]

I second that FROGSMILE, very interesting, and have never heard or have seen the badge before.

When did they disband do you know? And did they, like many other VTC become Volunteer Battalions of Regular Regiments in 1917/18?

Chris

Edited 7 August , 2019 by Dragoon

[CorporalPunishment]

2 hours ago, Dragoon said:

I second that FROGSMILE, very interesting, and have never heard or have seen the badge before.

When did they disband do you know? And did they, like many other VTC become Volunteer Battalions of Regular Regiments in 1917/18?

Chris

The Motor Section ONC, having been the basis for the National Motor Volunteers, would have ended the war as part of the Army Service Corps.  Pete.

[Dragoon]

2 minutes ago, CorporalPunishment said:

The Motor Section ONC, having been the basis for the National Motor Volunteers, would have ended the war as part of the Army Service Corps.  Pete.

Ah yes, that would make sense, thank you Pete.

A very interesting thread.

 

Chris 

[Steven Broomfield]

13 hours ago, CorporalPunishment said:

He was a member of the Optimists National Corps, a unit of the Volunteer Training Corps in the Great War.   Pete.

 

12 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

 

  What’s their story, do you know?

 

Broadly speaking, cheerful, I suspect.

[tootrock]

Many thanks for solving the puzzle.

Martin

[FROGSMILE]

Each time I learn something new like this it reminds me why it was called the Great War.  So many aspects of society were involved.

[CorporalPunishment]

1 hour ago, Steven Broomfield said:

 

 

Broadly speaking, cheerful, I suspect.