Victorian Welsh regiment volunteer battalion officers glengarry

[Jerry B]

As many of you will already know, a recent buy from the bay, price was good for what it is, and I was lucky to get it.

It is an officers Glengarry cap, which during the period was worn by most units of British infantry, officers had silk trim and OR's were leather trimmed but like the officers version had silk tails. On OR's version there was often not a backing for the badge, though this example has a red backing patch and the rosette that became common for all ranks in the later period, when this type of cap became something only worn by Scottish units to this day.

The badge is in silver which denotes it was for an officer in a Volunteer battalion of the Welsh Regiment and dates to the period 1881 to 1896, though it is likely to be from nearer the end of the period, as it has the correctly translated version of the motto.

This is a fairly rare cap, being more than circa 120 years old and as a collector of both headgear and Welsh items, I am very pleased and somewhat surprised to have picked it up.

[Mark K]

Bravo Jerry and a fine cap it is and I am very surprised it is in such fine condition for it's age I just love the cap badge the outer ring looks to be a little bent up but just adds to it IMO.

Regards Mark

[Jerry B]

Bravo Jerry and a fine cap it is and I am very surprised it is in such fine condition for it's age I just love the cap badge the outer ring looks to be a little bent up but just adds to it IMO.

Regards Mark

Thanks Mark. For its age the condition is pretty good, the tails have come loose and need reapplying perhaps, and it has a few holes, but still pretty good.

From a similar period I have a water canteen of the type used in the Boer war and it is a private purchase item for "I" company, 1st Volunteer Battalion, Welsh Regiment and is made by the same makers as this cap and also for a Volunteer Battalion of the Welsh Regiment. The maker Samuel Brothers, Military Contractors, Sydenham House, 65 & 67 Ludgate Hill, London might have been a regular supplier for the Welsh during the late Victorian period, and it is well known that certain regiments favoured the same tailors for all their private purchase requirements and might be the case with these two items. The cap came from a seller in Wales and the canteen was bought from an antique center in Carmarthen which was a base for the Welsh VB's during this period.

[Watchdog]

That's a "brahma" (the cockneys claim the word but I say it's old Indian Army slang) Jerry.

These items just scream "I was there and I saw history born!!"

Regards

Mark