Can anybody identify badges and medals on this pre-WW1 tunic please????

[potty5]

Hi guys, I know this isn't directly to do with the Great War (although this man did serve in the Volunteer Regiments set up in 1915), but can anybody identify this old soldiers badges on his uniform please and the rifle he is holding? He was a member of the 2nd Cheshire Royal Engineers (Railway) Volunteers which disbanded in 1912, but tried to re-form in 1914 to aid the war effort. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for reading, Mark.

[OLD ROBIN HOOD]

Greetings from the snow bound cave

 

The rifle in the photograph appears to be a Martini Henry ,introduced into service around 1872

It is calibre 45 x 577 . While only single shot it was very accurate .

 

           Old Robin Hood 

[FROGSMILE]

He is a Royal Engineer of the 2nd Cheshire (Victorian era) Railway Volunteers (and a very fine marksman).  The locomotive collar badge in brass is as rare as hen's teeth.  A detachment of men (based at Crewe and Nantwich) deployed to the 2nd Anglo/Boer War, where some of them were killed.  

 

The Volunteer Force (that included infantry and some units of artillery and engineers converted from infantry) had from its very beginnings skill in musketry as a central focus.  Indeed they thought of themselves as superior to regulars in that regard.  A big part of VF life was to participate and compete in annual musketry competitions held all over Britain.  Winners received cups and individual badges to stitch to the arms of their tunics.  This was a practice by the VF only.  In this case you can see that many of the badges relate to annual competitions in Cheshire, with each badge showing the year of the competition.

 

The 2nd Cheshire Royal Engineers (Railway) Volunteer Corps was formed in 1887 of employees of the locomotive department of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and became involved in active service during the Boer War up until 1901.  The Corps was disbanded in 1912.

 

Edited 29 December , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[potty5]

Many thanks for your replies guys.

[Mk VII]

Looks like he has attended several of the National Rifle Association's Wimbledon meetings.

[FROGSMILE]

44 minutes ago, Mk VII said:

Looks like he has attended several of the National Rifle Association's Wimbledon meetings.

Yes I think those are some of the badges on his upper sleeve.