Badge or emblem, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps c. 1911-1914

[nhclark]

I'm looking to acquire a good, genuine badge or emblem of the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps as would have been worn by a European (English/Irish) Corporal, who is listed as a recipient of the Delhi Durbar 1911 medal in the Medal Roll of the Army of India. I have researched the individual soldier (a close relative) and I have a genuine original silver medal, but would like to augment this with a badge or emblem if I can.

Problem is I don't quite know what I'm looking for. I don't know what uniform a Corporal would have worn or what kind of headwear  - I assume not a turban because I suspect that all the members of the unit at that time were "european."

I have seen a couple of examples by trawling through the web but I'm not sure how genuine they might be.

I would be grateful for any help anyone can provide.

Noel

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Have you seen?:

https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2013-10-20-84-63

https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=2013-10-20-84-66

Dave

 

[nhclark]

Thank you Dave and yes, I have. That's a pugri, or pagri, badge, worn on a turban, so I'm unsure whether a European would have worn the same, or a variation on the same theme (the emblem of the Punjab State at the time of British India).

Noel

[FROGSMILE]

54 minutes ago, nhclark said:

Thank you Dave and yes, I have. That's a pugri, or pagri, badge, worn on a turban, so I'm unsure whether a European would have worn the same, or a variation on the same theme (the emblem of the Punjab State at the time of British India).

Noel

Pagri (also Puggaree, Pugri,) was a term whose literal meaning was cloth head wrapping, so as well as a turban, it also referred to the cloth originally wrapped around sun helmets at the time of the Great Indian Rebellion (aka Mutiny) circa 1857-58.  Originally a practical addition to the helmet, it later became entirely decorative with a range of idiosyncrasies like the number of folds, the insertion of a coloured fold and a variety of tucks to create regimental difference.

Most importantly, in this threads context, the pagri on sun helmets became the place on which insignia was fastened.  Initially often a piece of shoulder strap on which the woven shoulder title was displayed, in later years cloth flashes overlaid with metal shoulder titles were used by some units, while in the infantry metal badges were often fixed on instead.  Ergo the badge at the IWM link is typical of the type that would have been affixed to the Wolseley Helmet that was common during WW1.

”In 1917, the Indian Defence Force (IDF), a part-time group, was formed to undertake garrison duties in India to release professional soldiers for fighting duties. Although the Indian Section was voluntary, the British Section was compulsory. The IDF was replaced by the Auxiliary Force, India (AFI) in 1920. This saw volunteer service resume, however there was a minimum term of service.”https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Auxiliary_Regiments

As yet I’ve not been able to find photographs of the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps, but below are some images of other Auxiliary Force (India) units showing the common field dress, khaki drill (KD), used by all AFI units at that time. The black shoulder titles indicate that black GS rifles buttons would also probably have been worn.  The earliest dress uniform of the unit was in Elcho grey, which might well have been retained for officers’ mess dress if included in the units dress regulations (tailoring was cheap in India).

From the FIBIWIKI website:https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Punjab_Rifles

“Originally raised as the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps on the 1st April 1861 and on the 15th July absorbed the Punjab Light Horse (Volunteers) which was raised on the 27th March 1867.

In 1898, the Punjab Light Horse and the Punjab Rifles together formed the Administrative Battalion, 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps.

In 1908 it was known as the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifles, with headquarters at Lahore. On the 1st April 1917 became the 3rd Punjab Rifles before becoming the Punjab Rifles on the 1st October 1920.”

In 1898, wih headquarters at Lahore, there were detachments at

Amritsar

Dariwal, (Dhariwal)

Gurdaspur

Rawalpindi

Murree

Sialkot

Delhi

Karnal

Ferozepore

Dharmsala

• Uniform - Khaki
• Facings - Scarlet
• Badge - Punjab Coat of Arms
• Motto - "Crescate Fluviis"

 

 

Edited 19 December , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

Here is a 1919 photograph of the train section formed by 1st Punjab Rifle Volunteers.  Note the Wolseley helmets with folded pagri and neck protectors (fastened by tieing tapes).  They have cloth badges on the sides, but would have worn metal insignia for ceremonial at their home stations.  Interestingly they are equipped with P14 rifles.

Source: https://shankardubai.tripod.com/halwaters.htm

@nhclarknote that the cap badge during the period of your interest had the title scroll ‘PUNJAB RIFLES’ as per the lowermost image above.

Edited 22 December , 2022 by FROGSMILE

[nhclark]

@FROGSMILE Thank you very much for your help interest in this. I think at the time of my interest, the award of a Delhi Durbar 1911 medal to Corporal R. F. Trotter, the unit was still the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps, and the badge I am interested in had the title scroll "1st. P.V.R." According to https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Punjab_Rifles the unit lost the "Volunteer" appellation and became the 3rd Punjab Rifles on 1st April 1917, and then "Punjab Rifles" on 4th October 1920.

I may have to give up the idea of an actual acquisition because the badge seems pretty rare and is therefore expensive! Unfortunately Trotter died in 1914 so he never reached actual Great War service, so I may have to be content with the medal by itself. 

Incidentally, there are various books about the Punjab Disturbances of 1919/1920 m on the Internet Archive, for example https://archive.org/details/punjabdisturbanc01lahouoft/mode/2up

Thank you again,

Noel

[FROGSMILE]

8 hours ago, nhclark said:

@FROGSMILE Thank you very much for your help interest in this. I think at the time of my interest, the award of a Delhi Durbar 1911 medal to Corporal R. F. Trotter, the unit was still the 1st Punjab Volunteer Rifle Corps, and the badge I am interested in had the title scroll "1st. P.V.R." According to https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Punjab_Rifles the unit lost the "Volunteer" appellation and became the 3rd Punjab Rifles on 1st April 1917, and then "Punjab Rifles" on 4th October 1920.

I may have to give up the idea of an actual acquisition because the badge seems pretty rare and is therefore expensive! Unfortunately Trotter died in 1914 so he never reached actual Great War service, so I may have to be content with the medal by itself. 

Incidentally, there are various books about the Punjab Disturbances of 1919/1920 m on the Internet Archive, for example https://archive.org/details/punjabdisturbanc01lahouoft/mode/2up

Thank you again,

Noel

I am glad to have helped a little Noel and agree with your assessment of badge if it’s the earlier period that your interested in.  Sometimes a replica badge can be made using a 3-D printer providing you have a good image and some usable dimensions.  Once made in a suitable plastic the badge can then be given a synthetic metal finish.  See: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/301796-cycling-badge-of-the-austro-hungarian-army-from-the-1st-world-war-replica/#comment-3172131

 

Edited 23 December , 2022 by FROGSMILE