identify regiment and date please

[NooshieW]

Hi
Could someone possibly identify the regiment and date of this photograph please, as we are trying to find out who the man is . Any help would be much appreciated.
Thank you

[JGDavies]

Based on a look through Welsh Militia & Voulunteer Corps 1757 - 1908 (though I'm not necessarily saying he's Welsh) the photographs where the uniform matches best are:

Of the Officers of the 5th (Montgomeryshire) Volunteer Batallion 1897. though all the officers apart from a Colonel have a white sash and more complicated cuff designs.

Of the Band and Bugles of the 5th (Montgomeryshire) Volunteer Batallion 1897
The helmet style is the same, as is the style and colour of collar and the cuff work looks very similar. though they also have sashes and braid shoulder 'pads'.

In 1899 another photo shows the sashes and shoulder 'pads' have disappeared.

With reference to Aldershot, the same book mentions it for 1871 re Officers Training and in 1901 re: "... rapidly desptched to Aldershot and ... shipped out to South Africa"

On this basis I'd suggest c.1898, possibly Yeomanry - though I don't know how their uniforms compared to regulars.

Though I see there was a C. S. Herve Photographer operating in Aldershot in the 1870s ...
http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/page3j-PrvtJCWeeks1stBattalion22ndFoot.html
might be worth checking him out?
Jon

[Regorian]

Based on the British 'pickelhaube' helmet it's 1878 or later. He's infantry and looks like a regular.

[km1971]

He is not an officer, Officer's home service helmets had gold edging. This is black leather of an Other Ranks. The Home Service pattern was introduced in 1878 but they used up old stock and most regiments did not issue it until 1880-81. The 8th Foot received theirs in 1880. The cuff was changed in 1881. So you need to find which Regular battalions were in Aldershot in (say) 1879-1881.

Again white facings - so a non royal English regiment

Ken

[Regorian]

Good luck to you, do you know how big Aldershot barracks was, it could house an army.

[NooshieW]

Thanks everyone. I know the branch of the family the two men belong to but not who they are. I have researched Thomas Kent who is of the correct era but was in the duke of Cornwall light infantry and the 3rd Wiltshire battalion and his cousin William Kent who was in the Royal Fusiliers London Regiment 7 th foot, but neither were sergeants. No other brothers or cousins were in the army until WW1 to my knowledge but I may have to keep looking

[John915]

Good evening,

Not necessarily in Aldershot, the photographer comes from there but it also says "taken using a traveling apparatus"

Shame the helmet plate is so out of focus as that would have the regt'l no on it.

John915