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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Schaef on Tuesday 14 August 18 21:03 BST (UK)
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Greetings All,
Been trying like mad to identify the uniform in the attached image -- without success. This is not my photo, but it was posted to another board (antiques) that I frequent and the original poster gave me permission to post it elsewhere.
I've not been able to put together the stand up collar, the two pockets (not four) and the scalloped pocket flap. I've got some opinions, but nothing I'm 100% comfortable with.
Any assistance you can offer is greatly appreciated!!!
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Additional photo
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Hopefully someone will be able to make out the cap badge more successfully than I can. The uniform looks to be tropical kit, I may be totally wrong but I would say pre WW1, possibly soon after the Boer War when pillbox hats were still worn.
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Cap badge look's like King's Royal Rifle Corp's pre WW1 definitely as the shape changed to the cross
without the circular surround and although a B&W photo the cap's would be dark green as would the
inner colours of the arm stripes.
https://www.ebid.net/us/for-sale/british-army-kings-royal-rifle-corps-krrc-victorian-cap-badge-original-152839042.htm
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KRRC served in the Anglo-Egyptian War in 1882. Also in the 1800s, the Regiment was in China, Canada, Afghanistan, India, Burma and South Africa.
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The black buttons are (with the cap badge) also an indicator of KRRC.
MaxD
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Thank you everyone for such fast response! It is a great assistance to have people with actual knowledge (as opposed to my google skills) answering.
I do have a follow up question, without a clearer picture of the badge, how do you distinguish between the KRRC and the Prince Consort's Own Rifle Brigade? At first I thought it was the color of the uniforms (obviously not dark green), but a couple of older books suggests that the Rifle Brigade was also known to wear khaki.
Is it something specific about the uniform (such as the black buttons)?
Thank you in advance.
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From the information provided here and the brilliant detective work of a member of the original site where this was posted, we may have found an answer. Possibly KRRC 3rd Battalion and Sergeant Arthur Harrington. http://ww1.nam.ac.uk/stories/sergeant-arthur-harrington/#.W3TYesInZ9M
Please feel free to voice your opinion of our assessment!
First and fourth pictures are the Sergeant from the original query and known pictures of Arthur Harrington.
Second picture is cropped original plus cropped picture labeled "Officers of 3rd King’s Royal Rifle Corps: Battle of Spion Kop on 24th January 1900 during the Great Boer War"
Third picture is cropped original plus cropped picture labeled "Officers of 3rd King’s Royal Rifle Corps: Battle of Spion Kop on 24th January 1900 during the Great Boer War"
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Certainly 8793 Acting Sergeant Major Arthur George Harrington (when killed in action April 1915) - the NAM pic - served in the KRRC in the Boer War. The cap badge in the Great War pic looks like the London Rifle Brigade (his regiment).
BTW KRRC used the term serjeant (and their descendants still do today) although you will see the spelling with the G also.
I think you have it.
MaxD
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Great result!
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Not KRRC, they are a group from the brother regiment, the Rifle Brigade. The glengarry cap badge shown is the typical RB badge with its laurel wreath surround, but the clincher is the style of the sergeants stripes, which were traced with a line of gold Russia braid, a pattern not used by the KRRC, whose rank stripes were black braid on a scarlet background. Their badge also had no surrounding laurel wreath.