West Midlands Branch (Stafford) of the Military Historical Society

SOME CITIZEN SOLDIERS OF THE WEST MIDLANDS
Chris Coogan

By the early 1860s, photographic technology had developed to the point where it had become economically possible for the ordinary working person to have their portrait taken. As a consequence, today’s military historians are free from total reliance on artists’ representations, and are able to see what Victorian soldiers of a hundred years ago actually looked like in the flesh. Military men of all ranks and types were able to have their portraits taken in their regimental finery, usually to give as keepsakes to family, wives - and lady friends.

We present here a small gallery of original contemporary military portraits of some typical volunteer citizen-‘Soldiers of The Queen’, covering the period from approximately 1860 to 1885.

 


  
 




 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 



 

 

 

 



 
 1. A private of the Queen’s Own Staffordshire Yeomanry Cavalry, Burslem c.1885:

This unit was initially raised in 1794 in Lichfield, and was composed of gentlemen and yeomen of the county who were willing to serve as a part-time cavalry regiment in the event of the much-feared invasion by Bonaparte. Many other yeomanry regiments were raised at this time throughout Britain.

By the time this part-time soldier had his portrait taken by his local photographer in the Potteries, the regiment’s uniform comprised dark blue hussar-style tunic with scarlet collar & cuffs and white pipings and braid, and dark blue overalls with double scarlet stripes. He is armed with the regulation cavalry sword, and his black ‘Albert’ helmet has white metal plate and ornamentation, with a white plume.

 
 

 

 

 



 

 

 



 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 




  2. A private of the Shropshire Militia, Shrewsbury, c.1860:

The Shropshire Militia, in common with the militia force nationally, had its roots in the county’s ancient duty to the monarch to supply armed men for the defence of Britain from invaders. As an ‘on demand’, and therefore part-time force, historically, it’s existence was patchy until approximately half way through the 19th Century, when it began to be organised on a semi-permanent basis, and was allocated a role in a national defence strategy.

Militia uniform tended to follow that of the Regular Army, as this photograph shows. The red 1856-pattern tunic is faced on collar, cuffs & shoulder straps with the regimental facing colour of green. The ‘oxford mixture’ - or dark grey - trousers have a narrow red stripe, and are tucked into the newly introduced black leather gaiters. The soft dark blue ‘kilmarnock’ forage cap has a large pompom (or ‘tourie’) on top, and bears a metal scroll badge bearing the regiment’s title. This proud warrior’s weapon is an Enfield percussion musket, which has been lent a more warlike aspect for the photographer by the addition of the standard socket bayonet of the period.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




 
3. A colour-sergeant of the 1st Herefordshire Rifle Volunteers, Leominster, c.1880:

Though the perceived threat from France had died down after Bonaparte’s final defeat at Waterloo, the European wars of the second quarter of the 19th Century, involving large professional armies, persuaded the British landed and middle classes that a resurgence of French aggression was almost inevitable. As a consequence of this great public concern, there occurred in 1859 the phenomenon of the ‘Volunteer Movement’, when, with the (at first) reluctant approval of the government, localised companies of Rifle Volunteers were set up on a local basis throughout Britain. After many years and reorganisations, these units were to become the Territorial Army.

Taken as a whole, the Rifle Volunteers enjoyed great leeway in their uniforms. Indeed, in their early days, one of their main precepts it appears, was to look as little like the Regulars as possible! By the 1880s, however, it had become more economic to adopt the Regular style. Our colour-sergeant wears a scarlet tunic faced black on cuffs and collar, and with black pipings. His ornate silver lace arm badge, comprised of 3 chevrons below a wreath containing a bugle horn & crossed swords, topped with a crown, signifies his rank. The newly-issued Home Service helmet bears a white metal plate bearing the arms of the the city of Hereford, and a similar device is borne within a wreath on his white leather pouch belt.

 

 

 
 
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. A private of the Worcestershire Artillery Volunteers, Birmingham, c.1880s:

The Volunteer Movement of 1859 spawned other types of units in addition to infantry. Many volunteer artillery units were raised around the country, the Worcestershire corps being established about 1865. As regards uniform, they tended to adopt Regular Royal Artillery-style blue uniforms.

This volunteer wears a dark blue uniform with white metal buttons and ‘grenade’ collar badge, together with scarlet pipings around the collar, cuffs, and shoulder straps, which also have ‘WORCESTER’ embroidered on them. The fur artillery pattern busby has a white plume issuing from a metal grenade device on the left side, and a scarlet ‘bag’ hanging from the right. He holds his artillery carbine, and wears a bayonet & frog on his white leather belt, which is fastened by a white metal plate bearing the Royal Arms.